The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is testing a remote-operated lifeguard, which is meant to rescue swimmers in distress as far as two kilometers into the sea.
For this, on Monday, July 10, the civic body conducted a trial run at Juhu beach twice in a day – once during low tide in the morning and then during high tide in the evening.
The machine, which will serve as secondary equipment in rescue operations, can cover a distance of 60 meters in 30 seconds.
Chetan Shah, an investor in a Vizag-based startup called Saif Automation which develops lifeguard drones, was involved in the trial run on Juhu Beach. The drone has to be remote-operated by lifeguards and works on the simple principle of a submarine. It is a completely Indian innovation, he exclaimed.
Juhu Beach is seven to eight kilometres long. Therefore, administration plans to increase manpower, have a jetty and watch tower, and provide drones and ropes to prevent drowning. The drones can trace the victim in seconds and will thus save lives. A demo of the drone was also conducted.
On Tuesday, July 11, MLA Ameet Satam, accompanied by lifeguards, the police department, the zonal DMC and K West ward’s assistant commissioner Prithviraj Chauhan, took stock of this and other safety measures.
Satam, in his letter to additional municipal commissioner Sudhakar Shinde, has suggested methods to strengthen the safety mechanisms at Juhu Beach. One of these is to double the number of lifeguards on the beach stretch from the Juhu Koliwada end to the Moragaon end.
Five to seven jet skis or water scooters must be deployed to help lifeguards.
At least five life-saving water drones should be deployed along with a public announcement system. Watch towers have to be installed at seven to eight locations across the beach. Life-saving first aid kits have to be deployed at five strategic locations, including AED machines.
Currently, there are three BMC lifeguards and 20 contractual lifeguards deployed daily in two shifts.
Share
Tweet
