PANJIM: Nitesh Gaonkar, 23, (name changed) from Valpoi flew to the Gulf acouple of days ago. "I'm going to be a lifeguard abroad," he said a few hours before leaving. Catching the government unaware, and leaving tourism officials with a new problem to grapple with, some 30 other lifeguards from Goa, have left the state's beaches over the past few months to pursue a job as a lifeguard in the Gulf.
"The fear is that we may not get the required numbers to fill the vacancies. Lifeguard services on our beaches will be affected if we don't have sufficient staff, and this may lead to bathers drowning. The way out is to declare lifeguarding an essential service as then lifeguards won't be allowed to leave the state without informing us," tourism director Swapnil Naik said. "Only some of my colleagues gave a month's notice stating they were leaving. The rest of them disappeared disclosing their plans to just a few colleagues," a lifeguard on conditions of anonymity said.
"Lifeguards have been offered salaries in the range of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 a month in the Gulf. Here we earn 6,000 a month. I'm guessing that those who have gone abroad are quite happy with the job abroad. In fact, they will be helping some of us to get jobs there too," the lifeguard added. The state, by September 2010, had 420 lifeguards recruited in three stages. About a couple of months ago, advertisements inviting applications for lifeguard positions in the Gulf appeared in local newspapers. The vacancies were for beaches in Qatar, and theme water parks and swimming pools in Dubai.
Tourism sources say that some ten lifeguards abruptly left their jobs and headed to the Gulf. "That was the first batch. The second happened during the last ten days where over 20 lifeguards left to go abroad," sources said. (TNN)
The boys who are life guards with Dristhi in Goa has done a tremondous job saving so many lives. They deserve the best. Will Goa Tourism take care of these boys? No. On top of all, how much money they must have paid to get these jobs, God only knows. Good Luck to you boys!
ReplyDeleteOur Goans life guards are poorly paid and have a very poor working environment. It is not a hobby but a profession, the highest percentage of people saved my these lifeguards are manly non-Goan under the influence of alcohol Indian tourists. They pose a danger to their rescuers the lifeguards. Good luck guys for a better future.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to these guys.
ReplyDeleteLife Guards are risking their lives too.
Why get paid pittance.
Goa earns a lot of money /revenue from Tourism.
Life Guards are an asset for Tourists confidence and desire to come to Goa.
The Tourisim officials spend far more lavishly on frivilous schemes.
The work of these lifeguards is also season dependent, I guess.
I wonder if they get paid off season?