Visakhapatnam: In an innovative project to rescue people from drowning at the city’s beaches , the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation will soon deploy four unmanned water rescue drones at RK and Rushikonda beaches.Built with fibre-reinforced plastic, these drones would have a range of three kilometres from the shore. They can be operated through a remote control and be swiftly sent to the aid of a panicking victim. The drowning person can hang onto the drone and he or she will be safely taken to the shore. In fact, a lifeguard can operate the drone from the rescue vehicle.The drone will be equipped with a two-way radio to allow the first responders from the shore to communicate with the victims at sea.“Recently, a private agency gave a demonstration and power point presentation on the working mechanism of the drones and how they could aid drowning persons. In the existing circumstances, it takes time for lifeguards or the first respondents to reach out to the victims. The speeding drones would make the task easy for the guards. Each drone is estimated to cost about Rs 4 lakh. Four drones will be procured for the Ramakrishna beach and Rushikonda beach under the Smart City project,” said a GVMC Smart City project official .As per the official statistics, more than 520 drowning deaths were reported in the city in the past 12 years. A majority of the victims were males and over 60% of the total deceased were in the age group of 15 to 30. Compared to other beaches, Rushikonda and Ramakrishna beaches account for the larger share of drowning deaths. A combination of factors, including natural influences such as erosion and formation of rip currents, lack of adequate safety measures along the coast, have turned the city’s beaches into a death trap. The GVMC has deployed about 40 lifeguards at various beaches, including Rushikonda beach, Yarada beach and Ramakrishna beach.

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