Boards to caution on no-selfie zones' on beaches of Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Soon, you would find big caution boards on the beaches with history of drowning deaths and also no-selfie zone boards at spots where tourists are seen taking selfies at risk in Visakhapatnam district.

In the wake of the recent drowning deaths at the RK Beach, which claimed five lives, the tourist officials held a meeting to decide on the steps to be taken to prevent such untoward incidents. The administration received sharp criticism from people of all the walks of life for not doing enough for the safety and security of the tourists.

"There are caution boards on the beaches not to swim in the sea. However, we realised that is not enough to stop people from indulging in risky activities. So we would also mention the details of drowning deaths and the high tide nature of the sea on the caution board," said a tourist officer.

The boards would also be in different languages not Telugu or English alone, so that tourists from other states can also read and be alert.

When asked about the growing risks and potential danger at tourist spots due to selfie mania, he said, “The selfie fever is leading to tragic consequences across India. I have observed youths taking selfie standing on stones and risky edges at Thotlakonda.

Besides, the situation is no different at Kailasagiri, Araku and other tourist spots. Hence, this is also on the cards of our department to put up boards at risky spots asking people not to take selfies," the officer added.  It may be noted that most of the tourist spots in Vizag are situated on the hill-tops and would prove fatal if the tourists are not prevented from clicking selfies at risky positions.