Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: To ensure the safety of devotees during the annual Ganesh visarjan rituals, the state-appointed lifesaving agency Drishti Marine will deploy trained lifesavers at 47 immersion points across Goa. The initiative is aimed at supplementing safety and law-and-order measures undertaken by the state administration and security agencies during the festival.
The deployment will cover 35 beaches and 12 inland water bodies on all designated immersion days — August 28, 31 and September 2, 4, 6 and 17, which marks the 21st day visarjan. Teams of lifesavers will remain stationed at these sites until late in the night to ensure the adoption of safe practices during idol immersion ceremonies.
Drishti Marine lifesavers have been mandated to assist devotees at immersion points known for strong sea currents. They will help groups carry idols into the water where conditions may be unsafe for the public to enter. “At the designated beaches and other immersion locations, our lifesaving teams will guide devotees through the immersion process while prioritising their safety. Since the beaches are still closed for regular sea access, we urge people to follow our lifesavers’ instructions. In situations where the sea is rough, our team members will step in and take the idol into deeper waters for immersion after the rituals are completed,” said Navin Awasthi, CEO of Drishti Marine.
The agency has advised the public to use only the main beach entry points where lifesavers are posted, and urged families and groups to keep a close watch on children, especially after dark, regardless of how shallow the water may appear. Standby lifesaver teams and support vehicles have also been arranged to respond immediately in case of emergencies.
In North Goa, lifesavers will be deployed at Calangute, Candolim, Vagator, Arambol, Mandrem, Querim, Ashwem, Morjim, Baga, Sinquerim, Anjuna, Miramar and Siridao beaches. In South Goa, deployments will cover Baina, Bogmalo, Hollant, Majorda, Utorda, Betalbatim, Benaulim, Galgibagh, Talpona, Varca, Zalor, Cavelossim, Mobor, Agonda, Palolem, Patnem, Rajbagh and Polem beaches. Additionally, 12 inland locations will also be covered, including Mapusa Tar, Parra-Verla pond, Aldona pond, Panaji ferry point, Vaddem lake, Morjim lake, Cumbarjua ferry point, Betim ferry point, Baina Kharewada, Benaulim lake, Panaji Four Pillar and Mapusa near Green Park Lake. Between two and six lifesavers will be stationed at each site, depending on requests made by village panchayats, sarvajanik sansthans (public organisations) and municipal corporations.
