TNN | Oct 30, 2014, 12.50 AM ISTPanaji: The death of three Russians who drowned when a water sports boat carrying them capsized off the Canaguinim Zorir beach in Quepem taluka on Tuesday morning has brought to the fore that most of the water sports activities along the state's 105 km beach stretch are carried out without any monitoring by any government department.
The tourism department's plan to streamline water sports activities is yet to materialize even as new guidelines were drafted last year.
Tourism director Ameya Abhyankar said they will try and put the system in place this season, which will facilitate monitoring of water sports activities.
"A tender was floated to invite bids but we could not proceed as only one bid was received," he said further adding a fresh tender will be floated shortly to select a bidder to operate the system.
Under the new proposed guidelines, it will be mandatory for water sports operator to issue tickets, maintain a 'Q' system and post at least one female staff at each ticketing booth.
The tourism department was compelled to frame guidelines after a petition in the high court highlighted how tourists are exposed to risk by water sports operators by not following safety norms. Some incidents of tourists getting injured in water sports related accidents, in the past had highlighted the need to keep a check on water sports activities.
While maintaining of 'Q' system has been made applicable to water sport operators, it is seldom followed as they often seen chasing tourists at beach.
The captain of ports (CoP) has started random checks of water sport equipment, boats and inspection of beach sites. The CoP had ordered temporary stoppage of all water sports after the Tuesday's incident.
"Our staff has been deployed at the beaches to see if there are any violations," said a CoP official on condition of anonymity. Water sports activities will start again in a day or two but after gauging conditions at the beaches, he said.
He also clarified that CoP only issues a NOC after examining the fitness of a vessel used for water sports.
In the present case, he said though the owner of the vessel had submitted an application for renewal of NOC, the vessel was inspected by the department official, but the applicant had not pursued it with the department.
He started his activity sans NOC and licence from the tourism department. Any person wanting to start water sport activity has to also obtain NOCs from CoP and fisheries department before approaching tourism department for a licence.
The CoP official also pointed out that it was not true that the deceased tourists did not have lifejackets on them, there have been police statements to the effect from other survivors.
"If my understanding is correct, they died because they got trapped when the boat capsized and could not extricate themselves as waves lashed," he pointed out.
The tourism minister Dilip Parulekar had told TOI on Tuesday that the Russian tourists who went on a joy ride in an ill-fated craft, were not wearing life jackets. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Water-sports-in-state-on-without-any-monitoring/articleshow/44976765.cms
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