Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jul 3: Despite strict monsoon restrictions due to rough sea conditions, tourists continue to throng the Munda area of Sasihithlu beach, raising serious safety concerns. Although lifeguard personnel have cordoned off high-risk zones with warning tapes, many visitors are seen violating the restrictions and entering dangerous areas of the shore.

There is a severe lack of proper infrastructure at the beach for tourists to safely halt or rest. Furthermore, the tourist police (Pravasi Mitra) and lifeguards deployed here are forced to operate without shelter or basic amenities, compelling them to perform their duties in the open under torrential rains and harsh weather conditions.

The area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the tourism department, is densely populated with casuarina trees. Due to heavy rains and strong winds, several of these trees are on the verge of collapse, posing an additional hazard to visitors who continue to visit the shoreline despite the stormy weather.

The absence of prominent warning signs highlighting the dangers is another major issue. Visitors from neighboring districts and states often fail to gauge the severity of the situation and ignore the instructions of the lifeguards.

The sea has turned extremely turbulent with massive waves battering the shore due to heavy rainfall, triggering fears of sea erosion. Despite these clear dangers, regulatory violations by tourists remain frequent.

Locals have noted that tourist footfall increases significantly on Saturdays and Sundays. They have urged the tourism department to deploy additional security personnel and home guards to manage the crowds effectively.

Despite repeated warnings from residents and lifeguards, tourists continue to venture onto the seawalk area. Local residents have demanded that the tourism department, district administration, and concerned authorities install permanent warning signboards, provide basic infrastructure for lifeguards, and enforce strict surveillance in high-risk zones before any untoward incident occurs.