Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The Goa government has intensified efforts to prevent drowning incidents in dangerous water bodies, focusing on abandoned mining pits, stone quarries, lakes, canals, and waterfalls.
Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate informed the Assembly that district collectors have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, banning swimming, bathing, or entering unsafe sites. A dedicated committee has been set up to monitor mining areas, and awareness campaigns are being run in schools and villages in coordination with local bodies.
In South Goa, 13 of the 16 identified abandoned quarries have already been fenced with barbed wire, with work in progress at the remaining three. In North Goa, fencing of four laterite quarries in Bicholim, Sattari, and Pernem is nearing completion, while two more sites have been approved for similar measures.
The government has also issued a series of public advisories urging both residents and tourists to stay away from hazardous water bodies, with enforcement drives underway to ensure compliance.
