The police in collaboration with revenue and fisheries departments have chalked out a plan to deploy professional swimmers at the Manginapudi beach to check drowning incidents.
Safest beach
The recent incident, in which five youths drowned at the beach, two of them later found dead, spurred the action by the police. The Manginapudi beach in Krishna district is one of the safest beaches along the coastline of Andhra Pradesh attracting visitors from across the coastal districts during summer.
“We have proposed to deploy swimmers at the beach in the wake of rising number of visitors to the place during summer. The police patrol will also continue to ensure the beach timings,” Machilipatnam Deputy Superintendent of Police D. Sravan Kumar told The Hindu.
The police allow the visitors into the beach only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mr. Sravan Kumar said revenue and fisheries departments were asked to identify and engage the swimmers, preferably local fisherfolk, at the beach on every Sunday.
On the other hand, the police personnel guarding the beach have a complaint that visitors are turning a deaf ear to their appeal to avoid venturing into deep sea for bathing. “Initially the immediate plan is to deploy swimmers at the Manginpaudi beach. Later, we will identify other beaches in Krishna district where there is a need for swimmers,” said Bandar Revenue Divisional Officer P. Saibaba.
“If everything goes as planned, the authorities will deploy the swimmers at the beach by May 15.”