THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Deaths by drowning have become frequent at Azhimala and Kallar, but the authorities concerned haven’t taken enough steps to protect visitors. Appointing lifeguards at beaches and popular water bodies, fencing dangerous cliffs and warning signs are some of the steps to increase safety
Several emerging and existing tourist spots in the district are turning infamous for accidental drowning deaths raising serious concerns on the safety measures in place at these destinations. Azhimala — one of the emerging popular locations frequented by tourists — and Kallar in Ponmudi are among the spots often turning into death traps for visitors. On Monday, a 36-year-old man drowned in the sea off Azhimala beach after he fell off a rock while taking a selfie. In the past one year, more than 10 drowning cases were reported at Azhimala alone and the authorities are yet to take any safety measures to protect the lives of the visitors.
Ever since the unveiling of the 58-foot-tall statue of Lord Siva at the Azhimala temple, the number of tourists arriving at the location has increased exponentially. Despite several drowning incidents at Meenmutty waterfalls at Kallar — one of the popular weekend getaway destinations near Ponmudi hill station — the spot remains unguarded. Very recently, a 26-year-old person drowned in the area and his body was retrieved only after a day.
After road accidents, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional deaths reported in the state. Every year, an average of 1,500 deaths by drowning are reported in the state. According to officials, the majority of the victims are below 35 years of age.
Though the tourism department is busy exploring new destinations and trying to make the state an adventure tourism destination, little effort is being made to make the tourist spots less risky for the visitors. The authorities have miserably failed to take any solid steps to bring down the number of such accidents. Recently, the state constituted a tourism police force to safeguard the tourists but the initiative is yet to gain steam. The tourists arriving at these locations are unguarded and clueless about treacherous spots.
Panchayat, forest dept at loggerheads in Kallar
Kallar, which has become a death trap over the years, continues to remain unguarded, as the panchayat, tourism department and forest authorities turn a blind eye to the situation. Despite recurring deaths, the authorities are yet to take any solid measures to mitigate the accidents. According to forest department officials, Kallar is a revenue property and the spot doesn’t come under their jurisdiction. The panchayat or tourism and forest authorities are ready to own up the responsibility of the spot.
“It’s revenue land and the panchayat is responsible to safeguard the location. We are ready to cooperate with them but they are not ready to take any step. Around four to five accidents occur at Kallar every year. The panchayat authorities haven’t even put up warning boards at this location despite repeated accidents. It’s a dangerous spot and we have held several discussions with them and every time, they say it’s the forest department’s responsibility. We are ready to deploy officers at this location if the panchayat is ready to cooperate,” Section Forest Officer Sunil Kumar, Ponmudi EcoTourism.
Role of local bodies
State project officer of Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) Joe John George said the visiting tourists should be given all basic information about the spot. “If it’s a forest area, there may not be any mobile network and hence the tourists should be well informed. Brochures should be given to them while arriving so that they are well prepared. Details like emergency contact numbers and nearest hospital facility should be provided. Display boards should be put up with all basic info. This would help mitigate a lot of issues,” said Joe George.
He said every local body should identify dangerous locations in its jurisdiction including water bodies and open wells and take measures to avoid accidents. “They should set up proper fencing, warning boards and take appropriate measures to avoid accidents. When a drowning happens, the person needs to be saved in four-five minutes. Though various departments are involved, fire and police officials arrive only after the everything is over and hence the local community has a key role to play. Proper training should be given to immediate responders in the localities to reduce accidents and deaths incidents,” Joe George added.
Former joint director of tourism department M S Venugopal said it’s impossible to deploy lifeguards along the entire coastal stretch, backwaters and rivers in the state. “The local self-government bodies, hoteliers, tourism industry and tourism department should make coordinated efforts to avoid such accidents. Safety should be given utmost priority. At Kovalam, a minimum of five to 10 drowning deaths used to happen and after the introduction of lifeguard services in 1988, the situation improved a lot,” said Venugopal.
CALL FOR LIFEGUARDS, WARNING SIGNS AT AZHIMALA
General secretary of Azhimala Siva Temple Devaswom Trust Vijesh S said accidents are happening often in the location. “The temple is part of the state’s pilgrim tourist circuit and we held meetings with the panchayat authorities and 10 warning signs would be put up at spots identified as dangerous. The authorities have promised to install the warning boards this week itself. We have also requested the coastal police and local MLA to deploy lifeguards at the spot to ensure the safety of tourists. Several deaths have happened in the past one year,” said Vijesh.
STATE PLANS TO BE RESCUE READY
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will roll out Aapda Mitra Scheme, a project to train community volunteers to equip the state during emergencies. The scheme has been implemented on a pilot basis in Kottayam district and around 200 volunteers were given training on tackling drowning incidents and help with flood-related rescue operations. The initiative, funded by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) aims to train volunteers with disaster management and flood rescue operations.
The programme is being implemented in the state with the help of the Fire and Rescue Services Department. The pilot project was launched at a cost of I45 lakh and residential training was given to local volunteers. “Around 1,300 community volunteers will be trained in Phase-II of the programme. We have already launched the preliminary works. The trained volunteers will work jointly with the fire and rescue department and help mitigate local disasters, including drowning. The number of drowning incidents have spiked in the state. We have been conducting campaigns to build awareness among the public about drowning,” said C J Sathyakumar, hazard analyst at KSDMA.
Death trap
1,500 deaths by drowning are reported in the state every year
10drowning cases were reported at Azhimala alone in the past year
It is the second leading cause of uninte-ntional deaths reported in the state after road accidents
Majority of the victims are below 35 years of age
The authorities are yet to take any safety measures to protect the lives of the visitors
Lives lost
On Monday, a 36-year-old man drowned in the sea off Azhimala beach after he fell off a rock while taking a selfie
Recently, a 26-year-old person drowned in the area and his body was retrieved only after a day