Section 144 imposed at Odisha's Pentha beach as drowning cases raise red flag

KENDRAPARA: With the spurt in drowning cases raising a red flag, the district administration on Wednesday enforced prohibitory orders under section 144 on the Pentha beach in Rajnagar block. The entire beach stretch has also been marked with red flags to warn people against bathing in the sea. The move came after two youths drowned while taking bath in the sea recently. 

"The red flags put across the six km long beach from Chitaukola to Dobandhi at Pentha within Gahirmatha marine sanctuary means that it is not meant for swimming or even wading.  We decided to shut down the beach for swimming as the sea is rough," said Collector Samarth Verma. 

He said that police personnel have been deployed on the beach for patrolling and preventing tourists from venturing into the sea considering the dangers involved. 

Sources said that Pentha beach is not favourable for swimming or water-based recreational activities. Bana Bihari Das of Pentha said the government must deploy lifeguards at the beach and provide life jackets, buoys and ropes to help people in case of emergency. He said that tourists often enter the sea in an inebriated condition and legal action must be taken against such people. 

Ashok Mishra, a tour operator said instead of prohibiting people from swimming in the sea, the authorities should deploy lifeguards on the beach. "Waves are not the concern, people swimming after drinking is," he said. 

Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Sahoo said Pentha beach remains unexplored as a tourist destination and keeping this in view, the State Tourism department has recently chalked out a plan to promote the site. "The Tourism department intends to promote Pentha beach as a holiday hotspot. Land has been earmarked near the beach to build a guest house for tourists," he added. 

A 22-year-old student of Jari village in Jajpur and 22-year-old Satyajit Bal of Goptira village under Pattamundai block lost their lives in the sea here recently.