The recent spate of drowning deaths has led to the district administration in Dakshina Kannda from banning tourists from entering the waters till the end of August.
According to Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner KG Jagadeesha, only fishermen are allowed to go into the sea at beaches in Mangaluru, Ullal, Someshwara, Mogaveerapatna, Panambur, Tannir, Sasihitlu and Suratkal.
“Tourists and others visiting beaches should follow the instructions of the Home Guards, police and tourist guides. They should not enter danger zones marked on the beaches. The Home Guards will hand over offenders to the police and they will be booked for disobedience to a public servant,” DC Jagadeesha added.
In spite of warning signs posted near all the beaches in the district which stated that swimming is prohibited, the Deputy Commissioner said that tourists were ignoring these signs and jumping into the water to swim.
“This is the time when there are high tides and the waves are so harsh that it becomes impossible to swim properly. If a person jumps into the water, he or she will be lucky if the life guards or fishermen can save them. The visibility level duw to the force of the water is low and it is extremely dangerous,” the DC Added.
Last week, at Ullal beach, a 10-member group if tourists had gone into the sea and two of them drowned.
“Although the Home Guards were alerted it became impossible to fish them out and the two men drowned,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
In another incident last week, three persons drowned at a beach near Sasihitlu. The trio drowned when their boat capsized.
“We want to prevent such tragic accidents during the monsoon when the sea waters are rough, we have banning tourists from getting into the water. It is noted that tourists from North Karnataka, including those from Bengaluru get too excited and jump into it without realizing the danger that may follow. This we have noticed over a period of many years,” the Deputy Commissioner added.