Bombay High Court tells state to ensure beach safety

The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to deploy well-equipped lifeguards at all city beaches during Ganpati idol immersions, which will end on September 15.

Expressing displeasure over the state’s existing security arrangements on city beaches, the HC directed the government and the BMC to brainstorm together and formulate a permanent policy to ensure the security of citizens gathering there. The HC asked the state and the BMC to submit their affidavits before October 10.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.A. Sayed was hearing a public interest litigation filed by an NGO, Janhit Manch, after an incident off Murud Janjira beach near Alibaug in which 14 students, 10 of whom were girls, had drowned earlier this year. After the tragedy, the state had submitted an affidavit specifying interim measures.

On the date of the last hearing, the court had rejected the state’s earlier affidavit and asked it to file a new one, which the latter did.

On Thursday, the state told the court that it had permanently deployed seven lifeguards at Girgaon, 10 at Dadar, 15 at Juhu, nine at Aksa beach, five at Gorai and 11 at Versova beach. The state also said that it had appointed 90 lifeguards at Girgaon Chowpatty and six at Juhu Chowpatty on a contractual basis for Ganesh idol immersions.

After reading the government’s affidavit, the court said: “The state has not given exhaustive data about immersion points. How many lakes and ponds are going to be used for immersion purposes in the city That information is not on the affidavit,” Justice Oka said.

He added: “Lifeguards who are appointed on a contractual basis are not trained. They are local people. We expected that the state’s officials would personally visit and identify places.”