Swimming in sea banned at Daman beaches till Aug 31

Surat: The Daman district administration has banned people’s entry into the sea at popular beaches of the tourist destination from Wednesday till Aug 31 to prevent incidents of drowning.
A notification has been issued by the sub-divisional magistrate Priyanshu Singh. It should be noted that there are no lifeguards at the beaches.
Daman is a popular tourist destination where a large number of tourists from Gujarat and Maharashtra visit on weekends and holidays.Due to its popularity, it is difficult to get accommodation in Daman during the weekends, and if the rooms are available, they are sold at hefty prices.
Considering the rush throughout the year, the administration has observed that tourists, local people, and fishermen venture into the sea at all beaches of Daman for swimming, bathing, fishing or taking selfies. The notification mentions that there have been reports of cases of drowning of tourists in the sea.
“Due to monsoon, the sea is rough and risky, and there is a possibility of loss of human life,” the notification states.
Taking selfies in the seawater has also been banned and violators will be booked under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections.
“Most of the tourists prefer to spend time in restaurants and beach-front bars. For bathing, most tourists prefer Goa beaches as the sea is rocky in Daman. This can lead to injury, and the sea also turns dangerous in monsoon,” said Harsh Bhaya, a businessman.
For a few tourists, beaches are an important attraction in Daman. “Those who drink have the option of bars but those who don’t beach enjoy the beaches,” said Jignesh Gotawala, a regular visitor.
Tourists said that the authorities should first appoint lifeguards like those in Goa to ensure the safety of visitors. “If they wanted to ban bathing at beaches for such a long period, why did they develop the promenade that attracts so many people?,” added Gotawala.