NAVI MUMBAI: Less than a fortnight after eight junior college students from Alandi in Pune drowned at Diveagar beach in Raigad district, the Maharashtra Police decided to deploy 440 home guards to strengthen beach safety measures along the Konkan coast.
Raigad district alone will receive 175 home guards; it currently has eight lifesaving buoys. The guards will be trained in swimming and lifesaving techniques.
Officials said home guards will be deployed in full strength along the coastline after they undergo proper training in beach safety.
The focus on beach safety follows recent drowning incidents involving students at Diveagar beach, which raised concerns over the supervision of youth groups at tourist beaches, and the availability of trained personnel and lifesaving equipment to respond to emergencies. The addition of Home Guards is expected to strengthen the safety mechanism.