The sea near the Beach Promenade area in Puducherry continues to be a death trap for visitors who go swimming, in ignorance of warnings. A young man, who had gone swimming with his friend on Monday, January 15, 2023, drowned in the waters behind the Old Distillery. His friend is still missing.
According to the police, Vinoth, 23 and Ashok Kumar, both from Valparai in Tamil Nadu came to Puducherry for a holiday. They went swimming from the beach behind the Old Distillery around 2 p.m. Both are believed to have drowned after they were hit by a huge wave, police said.
By evening, Vinoth’s body was found on the shore near the Chief Secretariat. The search for Ashok Kumar is continuing, police said.
This comes on the heels of the drowning of four teenagers, all local residents, who were washed away while swimming from the beach behind Seagulls Restaurant. The Puducherry Tourism Department had come under criticism then, for not deploying adequate lifeguards on the Beach Promenade, which according to experts is not a safe area for swimming.
However, despite warning boards placed on the Beach Promenade, visitors continue to venture into the sea, even ignoring appeals made by beat policemen.
Local MLA stages protest
The latest drowning incident has triggered a protest in the town. Independent legislator G. Nehru alias Kuppusamy staged a demonstration near the Tourism Department office. He said even after repeated drowning incidents the Department has failed to deploy lifeguards at the beach.
“Those who were appointed as lifeguards left their jobs as they were not paid their salaries. It is the responsibility of the Tourism Department to ensure the safety of visitors. The government should take immediate steps to post lifeguards and set up watch towers on the beaches,” he said.
