A series of measures was taken up by the city police, in the past, to prevent deaths due to drowning in the Marina.
Beach buggies were introduced, more police personnel deployed and the cooperation of the local fishermen for rescue works was sought.
The latest safety measure taken up by the personnel of city police is the erection of a watch tower. The structure, about 15-feet high, has been put up behind the Labour Statue near the water front.
Apt measure
S.N. Seshasai, the Joint Commissioner of Police, East Zone says, “The waters are deep just a few metres from the shore. The region being rocky, the possibility of a swimmer crashing against the rocks is high. The best way to prevent such accidents is by cautioning the public and advising them not to swim in the area. But since the public do venture into the waters, not paying heed to the warning, deaths occur.
More caution needs to be exercised during new moon and full moon days. A watch tower is an apt measure to prevent such incidents as it will be easy to spot someone swimming into the danger zone ,”
Police personnel standing, provided with a walky talkie and a binocular, atop the tower will be able to span a distance of 100 m on all sides (water and land).
For violation
In case of someone needing help divers can be sent across. The police department has also placed warning boards at prominent places to caution the public. “If the public do not pay heed to the warning signs they will be booked under the city police act for violation,” said the JC.
As crowds surge on the beach during weekends personnel of mounted branch and two anti-vice squad — a team which monitors offences such as street brothel, begging, public nuisance — will be deployed among the crowds. To maintain a strict vigil in the sand area, as many as 42 surveillance cameras and 13 speed dome cameras will be set up for a distance of 1 km from the Labour Statue to the Kannagi Statue.
Monitors (seven) for these will be kept in the police booths — at the Labour Statue and near the swimming pool.
Plans are afoot to erect an eco-friendly and hi-tech police booth behind the Gandhi Statue. It will be equipped with cameras, public address system and solar powered.
It will also have tough window panes and doors with biometric entry.
