Marina life guards to ensure 'drowning free' Marina beach

CHENNAI: A group of 130 police personnel attached to the Coastal Security Group (CSG) and ten volunteers have been trained to form the ‘Marina life guards’ to prevent drownings in Marina beach which is the Chief Minister’s motto, CSG ADGP, Sandeep Mittal said.

The official said that the group will be equipped with all latest equipment including drones for surveillance and drone carrying life buoys, Beach ATV’s (All Terrain Vehicles), Tractors and fast-moving boats. “It is planned to train Police personnel in scuba diving also,” the Additional Director General of Police said.

He was speaking on the side-lines of the state-wide coastal clean-up drive initiated by the CSG as part of International Coastal Cleanup day, which was observed on September 17 (Saturday).

Coastal Security Group (CSG) of Tamil Nadu Police conducted beach clean-up along the state’s 1076 km long coastline from Marina beach to Kanyakumari, in co-ordination with the coastal fishing hamlets.

About 450 police personnel of Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu Police, 500 NCC Cadets, 750 NSS Volunteers, 250 Marine Volunteers, Volunteers from 10 NGO’s, around 1500 School Students, voluntary organisations and general public got together for the coastal cleaning activity as a massive movement.

The initiative was to create an awareness among the general public and to make them to volunteer in maintaining our beaches to rid of the garbage plaguing our beaches, stated an official release.

Besides this, CSG has also under taken massive green drive movement along the coastal zones. It has already planted 10,000 tree saplings in coastal areas including 300 saplings planted on Marina Beach recently.