An early warning system for beach safety as well as a central control room and sub-control rooms will be established, a provincial disaster management meeting decided on Tuesday. The meeting, held in the wake of the Seaview drownings on Eidul Fitr, discussed the implementation of beach safety measures before the upcoming Eidul Azha holidays.
Presided over by DG Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Commander (Retd) Syed Salman Shah at his office, the meeting emphasised the importance and need for beach safety measures and highlighted short-term and long-term actions in this regard. It also decided to increase the number of lifeguards and to enhance beach patrolling by all relevant departments in order to avoid untoward incidents in the future.
“We will deploy buoys to mark areas safe for swimming and also establish watchtowers on the beach,” said Shah, adding that the provincial government would devise beach safety laws in line with global best practices.
The participatory role of NGOs in creating awareness through print and electronic media as well as billboards was further discussed at length, as were appropriate indicators for beach visitors. As a long-term intervention, it was decided to conduct a study of all beaches in Karachi to classify them according to their vulnerabilities was also discussed at the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2014.
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