Bhubaneswar, 27 April (H.S.): In a major step towards strengthening safety in water-based tourism, the Odisha government has launched a comprehensive residential lifeguard training programme at the Odisha State Watermanship And Lifeguard Institute in Konark. The first batch commenced on Monday, marking the beginning of an intensive capacity-building initiative.

The programme will be conducted in 11 continuous batches, each lasting 12 days, over a period of nearly one and a half months. A total of 176 lifeguards from both government and private sectors will be trained in this phase. The training curriculum includes essential skills such as rescue operations, CPR and first aid, open water management, disaster response, tourist safety protocols, and watersports safety standards.

Earlier this year, the Department of Tourism Odisha signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Institute of Water Sports and Odisha Fire & Emergency Services to enhance technical expertise, strengthen safety infrastructure, and standardise training across the state’s growing watersports sector.

The initiative is part of a broader plan to train nearly 2,000 lifeguards over the next two to three years, aimed at building a robust safety ecosystem for both coastal and inland water tourism. The collaboration with national-level institutions ensures adherence to standardised certification and training protocols.

To support effective deployment, authorities have completed mapping of water bodies across all 30 districts, identifying usable stretches for tourism activities. A district-wise pool of interested youth is also being prepared to streamline future training and deployment.

Upon completion, trained lifeguards will be strategically deployed at key tourist destinations, including Puri and Chandrabhaga Beach, among other prominent sites. Officials said the continuous batch model will significantly enhance preparedness and strengthen safety measures ahead of the peak tourist season.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda