From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jun 2:  The state appointed lifeguard services which are manning Goa’s beaches will put up a red flag at the entrance of all the beaches in the state from this week onwards as the monsoons will hit the coast anytime.

Tushar Sunil Shinde, Manager (Operations), Drishti Special Response Service (DSRS), said that  they will be putting up Red flags at main entrance points of beaches which otherwise have the red and yellow flags signifying  safe swimming zones.

“The red flags across the different beaches now mean that the area is not meant for swimming,” he said.

Goa government has already shut down the beaches for swimming as the sea is rough during monsoons.

The DSRS, which has 420 lifeguards manning 105 km long beach stretch, will also try to educate people through public address system.

“We will also try to educate people via our Public Address System put up on the jeeps through which the lifeguards will announce the ban on swimming in the water,” he said adding that lifeguards who patrolling the beach will furthermore communicate with tourists who try to venture out into the sea and explain the dangers involved.

Shinde said that with the monsoons coming in the water current turns violent and the size of the waves rise considerably.

“These large waves are not regular waves, they have a criss-cross pattern and are extremely difficult to manage. To add to the woes, Goan beaches have a lot of monsoonal inlets at specific locations, these water run offs generate strong rip currents (water that runs towards the sea) which exists till the end of monsoons,” he said.

Shinde said that `additionally there feeders or lateral currents which run parallel to the beach and end straight into these rips so even if a swimmer gets into water at a particular location which he thinks is otherwise "safe", he will get dragged into these rips eventually, thus, endangering his life.’