Panaji: Goans Head to Beaches to Beat the Heat

Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 21: With the soaring mercury, people are thronging the beaches to beat the heat in Goa. The state is witnessing high humidity coupled with the heat.

Indian meteorological department’s Goa office has predicted that the heat will continue for some more time due to easterly winds. IMD’s Goa desk incharge K V Singh said that even nights are going to be warmer in the state.

“Whenever there are easterly winds, the temperature shoots up,” he said.

The IMD’s office has said that the humidity has touched 81 per cent mark, which forces the uneasy conditions in the state. The average maximum temperature is around 36 degree Celsius.

For the people, who are right now in holiday mood, the 105-km-long beach has come as a relief. The number of people thronging beaches has gone up.

“It’s not just domestic or foreign tourists, but we have seen number of locals increasingly flocking to beaches these days,” Andrew Gonsalves, who runs the shack at Calangute beach, 10 km away from here said.

State’s prime beaches like Calangute, Colva, Arambol, Anjuna. Palolem, Morjim and others are witnessing heavy rush. Gonsalves said that presence of private lifeguards, who are commissioned by state government, has come as a big saviour.

“Usually, during such circumstances, people tend to get drowned because of the rush in the sea water,” he said.

Surf Life Saving Goa, a subsidiary of Drishti adventure sports private limited, which has won the tender for lifeguard services, has already rescued several people from the no swimming zones.

The state tourism department has already flagged the no swimming zones on the beachline. “There are times when drunken tourists refuse to listen to lifeguard and risk their lives,” a state tourism official said.