Andhra Pradesh

Fatal attraction

The tragic incidents of drowning in the sea along the beach in and around the city continue to throw light on the danger that lurks behind the shimmering waves. The seducing beauty of the sea is turning quite irresistible. The heady combination of being on a vacation with friends coupled with the joy of unwinding on the beach is proving a fatal attraction.

The drowning of a student from Hyderabad last week and the agony of his friends were heart-rending. Sometime ago, a software employee from Hyderabad met with the same fate.

Though the authorities have put up boards on the beach with details of incidents of drowning and the number of deaths, they are obviously not taken seriously by all those venturing into the sea. The beach should, perhaps, have mega hoardings or digital ones displaying the risks involved. Adventurism has no place when the risk is too high.

For Commandant Mukesh Purohit, Captain of Indian Coast Guard Ship Varad-40, and the 64-men crew who went to rescue a vessel of CIFNET (Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical & Engineering Training), the entire operation was a big adventure.

After bringing 17 employees of CIFNET from a ship which was trapped in a stormy weather off Kakinada coast, about 80 nautical miles from Visakhapatnam, Capt. Purohit disclosed that he could consume only three apples and a small bowl of ‘khichdi’ during two days. He said they could not cook on-board Varad-40 due to heavy winds and high tidal waves. “There was neither sleep nor food but we are happy that we could accomplish our mission successfully,” he said.

Some time ago more platforms have been added to the Visakhapatnam Railway Station, its main building has been renovated and arrangement for parking of vehicles in front of it has been made systematic.

But the plan to convert the No. 6 platform, which is the first platform from the Gnanapuram side, into the main platform is not supported by the required infrastructure and facilities. At present the most popular and important train, Godavari express starts from this platform and passengers living in Gnanapuram who have to catch this train and even the trains starting from other platforms may find it convenient. But once they enter the station the passengers find the absence of food stalls, shops selling books, toilets, etc.

It is not just the lack of facilities on this platform but insufficient circulation space in front of the entrance is a big botheration for the passengers.

Earlier, the vehicles are allowed to go round the circle in front the entrance and passengers inside them could get down in front of the steps leading to the main entrance. But now entry into to the portico is barred.

A vehicle carrying the passengers has to halt by the side of a footpath, which is many feet away from the entrance, and the passengers get down, collect their luggage and walk towards the entrance climbing up and down the platform and other obstacles.

All this takes at least three to five minutes with every vehicle and the vehicles behind it had to wait honking their horns. The driver of the vehicle, after moving away from this footpath has to search for a slot in the designated parking area, which is always full at the time of departure of Godavari express, and fervently search for space elsewhere near the station as he or she has to catch up with those leaving by the train. Some solution must be found for this problem as the senior citizens and sick are facing a lot of problem with the present arrangement.

(G.V. Prasada Sarma, Santosh Patnaik and

G. Narasimha Rao)

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu