Safe swim zones set-up as ban ends

Panaji: Drishti Lifesaving, the state-appointed professional lifeguard agency, resumed setting up of safe swim zones on Goa's beaches from Monday.

The agency had issued an advisory instructing visitors to the beach not to venture into the sea during the monsoon months extending from June till the September-end. With the monsoon season having come to an end and post-monsoon showers receding, swimming has been allowed to commence since October 9.

Drishti maps the weather and sea conditions each morning and accordingly sets up safe swim zones along the beaches manned by the agency. Its lifeguards monitor 22 beaches in South Goa and 16 in North Goa, from 7.30am to 6pm.

Drishti has, however, advised beachgoers and swimmers to adhere to basic safety measures while venturing into the sea. They said that swimmers should ideally swim only in the swim zones which are marked with yellow flags by the Drishti lifeguards.

Non-swim zones are marked with red flags and are not meant for swimming. Anjuna, however, being a rocky beach, does not have a swim zone. Additionally, there are signages at every beach listing down the kinds of flags and what they mean, besides instructions and safety tips.