VISAKHAPATNAM: The two drowning deaths reported from the city beach during the Maha Shivaratri festival on Wednesday has brought the issues of the unsafe seashore in the city to the fore. Studies conducted by oceanography experts suggest that a few locations in the coastal stretch of the Port City are not safe for swimming. The ongoing study on the ‘rip current forecast’ along a 60-km stretch has revealed that the Bay of Bengal off Vizag coast has strong rip currents, making the beaches vulnerable to drowning mishaps.
On Wednesday morning, two people drowned at the beach near Visakha Valley School after they went for a holy dip while three more, who were washed away by strong waves at Arilova, Rushikonda and Jodugulapalem, were rescued. Time and again, drowning deaths are being reported from the city beaches and the scientists are blaming it on the strong presence of rip currents in the Bay of Bengal off Vizag coast.
A ‘six-month study on rip current forecast conducted on a 60-km stretch of Vizag by the Oceanography Department of Andhra University suggests that some locations in the coastal stretch are not safe for swimming owing to rip current. “We have identified areas prone to rip currents. Data collected on changes that occur every four minutes are taken for the study. Except for a few pockets including Lawson’s Bay and Sagarnagar, the entire coast including Rushikonda, RK Beach and Yarada are erosional beaches,” says principal investigator KVSR Prasad. While a normal four-line current spreads up to 1 metre per second, the same for the rip current is 4 metre per second.
“Many areas are not safe for swimming, considering the sediment changes within the tidal cycle, apart from the rip current. The beaches with high waves are prone to heavy rip currents. Venturing into the sea beyond knee-deep water is prone to danger,” said KVSR Prasad.
Rip current forecast
Further, the experts are planning to undertake another major experiment in April. “Forecast for rip current is vital. We will forecast the presence of rip current on a particular day and time along the Visakhapatnam coast by procuring major equipment from the Space Application Centre (SAC). The sites for the project has been identified,” says Prasad.
AU study reveals
A three-year study on rip current forecast in Vizag has been assigned to Meteorology Department of AU
The SAC, Ahmedabad has funded H30 lakh for the purpose
Study conducted on 60-km on the coastal stretch
Rushikonda, RK Beach and Yarada are erosional beaches
As the tidal changes can’t be controlled, only precautionary measures and a credible warning system will help, say scientists