The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administration is lacking the required number of lifeguards who can play a pivotal role in preventing beachgoers from drowning. In a situation when it is being demanded that the number of lifeguards should be increased to avoid the repetition of recent Seaview tragedy wherein 39 people fell prey due to poor administration, the KMC is not giving the needed focus to beach safety measures.
According to a report around 250 people drown on Karachi beaches every year. However, the recent incident was unusual as extra-ordinary high number of people died in a one go.
Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Ahteshamuddin, who heads lifeguards of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, told PPI that KMC had been facing acute shortage of lifeguards on a vast coastal belt of the Arabian Sea under its control.
The KMC was working with 50 lifeguards from Hawksbay to Mubarak Village, including Sands Pit vicinity and some part of Clifton beach, while the requirement was 250 to 300 life guards, he said.
The CFO said the lifeguards were performing their duties around Neelum Point, Paradise Point and Hawksbay where emergency rescue centers were also established.
Sources told PPI that the lifeguards were not provided any special training nor required equipments. They had a boat, first aid equipment and some medicine for the infection of rash that erupts after blue-waters (a water organism) stinging, which is a normal thing during breeding season of fish and monsoon.
Among other difficulties lifeguards tend to face verbal and physical abuse of picnickers while discharging their duties, said the sources.
Ahteshamuddin said the local people were hired for lifeguard duty who already knew swimming; hence no special training was required in this regard.
