Treacherous tides make Murud risky
Experts analysing the Murud-Janjira beach tragedy that claimed 14 lives on Monday have said that the stretch is one of the most dangerous beaches in the region. Surendra Thakurdesai, head of geography at Gogate Jogelekar College in Ratnagiri, said, “Two things in particular make the Murud-Janjira beach dangerous. On some parts of the beach, the slope angle is steep and the areas have high current velocity, which pulls you inside the water. The locals know about these unsafe parts and advise tourists to avoid such spots.”
The other thing is the shallow depression created on the shore due to the currents. “These depressions keep shifting and even locals can’t tell where they have shifted. Generally, people get stuck in these depressions and the strong whirl of water pulls in people with the current,” Thakurdesai said.
He stressed that beaches that are more exposed to the sea, with no hills on the sides, are more susceptible to these depressions. “Apart from Murud-Janjira beach, parts of Aksa beach, Kashid beach, the whole of Ganpatipule beach, Murud beach near Dapoli and the northern part of Tarkarli beach are prone to such problems,” he said.
Environmentalists have also blamed “rapid and unnecessary urbanisation” along the Murud-Janjira coast. They had protested the reclaiming of the coast. Stalin Dayanand, an environmentalist and projects director in NGO Vanashakti, said, “Around two years ago, we had written to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to stop the reclamation of the Murud coast. Murud-Janjira used to be one of the safest beaches in Maharashtra. Massive reclamation has been going on at the coast opposite the Murud Fort for the last two years.”
The construction of the Dighi port has also contributed to increasing the flow of water into the channel, he said. “A study wasn’t done to analyse the repercussions. Today, we are reading about 14 lives lost in what was once a safe beach,” he said.
The other thing is the shallow depression created on the shore due to the currents. “These depressions keep shifting and even locals can’t tell where they have shifted. Generally, people get stuck in these depressions and the strong whirl of water pulls in people with the current,” Thakurdesai said.
He stressed that beaches that are more exposed to the sea, with no hills on the sides, are more susceptible to these depressions. “Apart from Murud-Janjira beach, parts of Aksa beach, Kashid beach, the whole of Ganpatipule beach, Murud beach near Dapoli and the northern part of Tarkarli beach are prone to such problems,” he said.
Ajay Raut, who has overseen several rescue operations at the beach, said that accidents mostly occur in the afternoon, during low tide. “The victims are dragged into the water in a matter of seconds. In such situations, people panic, resulting in the watering their nose and mouth. An ideal way is to stay calm and float, letting the wave pass over. Once the wave has passed, one can make his or her way out. In any case, people should not go into the water deeper than the waistlevel,” Raut said.
Environmentalists have also blamed “rapid and unnecessary urbanisation” along the Murud-Janjira coast. They had protested the reclaiming of the coast. Stalin Dayanand, an environmentalist and projects director in NGO Vanashakti, said, “Around two years ago, we had written to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to stop the reclamation of the Murud coast. Murud-Janjira used to be one of the safest beaches in Maharashtra. Massive reclamation has been going on at the coast opposite the Murud Fort for the last two years.”
The construction of the Dighi port has also contributed to increasing the flow of water into the channel, he said. “A study wasn’t done to analyse the repercussions. Today, we are reading about 14 lives lost in what was once a safe beach,” he said.
