Last Sunday I was in Versova at my in-laws place. This is a sea facing flat. The sea was wild last Sunday and it draws a lot of people near the rocks where they stand in mute silence staring at the sea and admiring the waves hitting the rocks. At around 2 p.m. when I peeped outside the window, I saw a huge crowd of fire brigade personnel and cops trying to retrieve a body that was stuck between the rocks. I later got to know that a 26 year old boy who had come from Jodhpur, was sitting on the rocks and got pulled into the sea. His friends tried saving him, but the divine had some other plans for him. It was a tragic death for him. How does Mumbai eliminate such freak accidents? Here are some of my suggestions that can help Mumbaikars understand the risks better.
1. Have clear sign boards outside risky entry routes to the beach. Example some of the entry points to the sea are laden with sharp rocks that one cannot see when the water is at a high level. I am yet to see clear visible sign boards
2. During monsoon FM radio stations have a role to play. While radio does a good job around alerting citizens on traffic jams, this is one initiative that they can take up. They need to alert citizens about the sea tides and forewarn them.
3. The security guards who are employed with the buildings around the sea should be given some basic training in life guard skills.
Today I was at Versova again and I saw the cops doing a good job of forewarning people about the risks of standing near the rocks. Force was used to clear the area, I went for a nap, woke up after 30 minutes to see a sea of people standing close to the rocks.....the same place where a 26 year old young software engineer from Jodhpur, who came to Mumbai for a vacation was standing and enjoying the lashes, before that final wave swept him. How do we avoid the next tragedy? Suggestions are welcome.
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