Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Tuesday, put up banners warning people against walking barefoot along the city’s beaches. The Maharashtra fisheries department had on Monday issued an advisory alerting the people of a surge of venomous bluebottles along the Mumbai coastline. While there is no official record to buttress their claim, lifeguards, vendors and marine experts claimed over 100 bluebottle stings on Girgaum Chowpatty, Aksa, Juhu, and Versova beaches since last Friday.
Blue bottle jellyfishes are generally seen in Mumbai during the mid-monsoon season. A shopkeeper at Juhu Beach said that around 150 people have been attacked by the jellyfish in past two days. “The beach is full of this fish. Many people have gotten injured. I even helped many by rubbing lemon on the sting to lessen the pain. It is better if people avoid visiting beach for a few days,” he said.
Bluebottles, also known as the Portuguese man o’ war, are found on the shores of Mumbai during the monsoon. Measuring up to six inches, they are known to deliver a lethal sting which causes burning pain and welts accompanied by muscle weakness. “In the advisory issued to citizens as well as the municipal corporation, we have spoken against walking barefoot on the beach – especially close to the shoreline. However, as a bluebottle sting is not fatal, people need not panic,” said Rajendra Jadhav, joint commissioner of fisheries.
Experts from the Marine Life of Mumbai said while these creatures might appear to be lying dead on the shore, they could still sting on contact. “The pain is unbearable because the bluebottle’s sting is venomous,” said a marine expert. He also dismissed the popular notion that vinegar or any acidic substance can alleviate the burning sensations caused by a bluebottle sting. “An advisory issued by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute last month stated that rather than applying vinegar, one must gently wash the affected area with sea water or warm water and visit the nearest government hospital,” he said.