Murud beach tragedy: Civic body ignored warning signs, failed to deploy lifeguards

Shyam Agravkar, a local fisherman from Murud, told The Indian Express, “Some local residents saw the body stuck between rocks. It was taken out by them with the help of some more fishermen and was handed over to the police. The body had several injuries that were caused due to the sharp points on the rocks.” The Raigad District Police said that the safety of tourists on the beach is primarily the responsibility of the Municipal Council. Inspector Arvind Patil, the Public Relations Officer with the Raigad Police, said, “It has been communicated to the Municipal Council several times in the past to deploy lifeguards. But they have not done that. As of now, we have registered a case of sudden accidental deaths. We will be probing all the possible angles, including the possibility of negligence on part of the civic officials or others.” Inspector Patil added, “There are boards on the beach categorically warning the tourists. It is important that more awareness is created among the tourists.”

A senior official with the Murud Municipal Council, who did not wish to be named, said, “Firstly, the rules about the responsibility are not clear. Murud is a Class C Municipal Council and has a very limited budget. At the same time, it is also the responsibility of the Maritime Board to ensure the safety of the visitors.”

A local businessman, Nizamuddin Al Haddadi, said, “The authorities seem to be completely unconcerned about the tourist facilities. The warning boards are only in Marathi. They should also be in Hindi and English. There is no help desk. There is no good hospital nearby and there is no facility for advanced medical care or an Intensive Care Unit. We have to go to Mumbai for medical emergencies. The apathy is evident from the fact that there is no washroom or urinal at the beach. The authorities want taxes but don’t want to give facilities.”

The local authorities on Tuesday afternoon installed a string of buoys demarcating the danger zone of the beach, which the local residents were demanding since last many months.

Vijay Patil, who owns a hotel at the beach said, “We have been demanding the desilting of the left hand side of the corner and construction of a barrage, which would prevent formation of swirls in this corner. But no one paid heed.” The Indian Express has reported that one of the main reasons the students drowned was due to formation of swirls in the left corner of the beach during a high tide. A police officer said, “Beaches like Kashid, Ganpatipule and Kihim don’t have lifeguards. I hope that the government will take some action soon.”