Friday 22 June 2007

BE-IZZAT BE-ABR'E'U -- II

See, we told you, of a sudden the Korean news site OHMYNEWS.com is the new hunting ground for Herald's plagiarists, after the Dallas Sun and the Tribune from Chandigarh. These guys spare none. Chances are we'll see some more plagiarsm from Philippine based newspapers soon:) (more on that later)
This particular plagiarished story doesn't carry a byline, so we can't figure who's the guy who committed this 'cloning'. Does anyone on the desk know? The OHMYNEWS.com story appeared a good month before the Herald's version did. Who does the tourism beat in the Herald... anyone know? Please tell us guys...
The story has been padded up with a huge chunk of matter directly sourced from the original story written by Armstrong Vaz for OHMYNEWS.com.
So here goes guys, read on... OOOH... OOOOH.... MYYYY... OOOHMYNEWS.COM


THE PLAGIARISED VERSION

http://oheraldo.in/node/21102?PHPSESSID=aebb13b7bcb25157442ea6ec896f9689

Lifeguards fail swimming test

By Herald Reporter
PANJIM, DEC 12 – It’s a ‘Catch 22’ situation for Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) over recruitment of lifeguards. While the State Government urgently needs lifeguards for the safety of tourists flocking to Goa in love of sun, surf and sand — recruitment of lifeguards has come to a halt for a want of skilled swimmers.
Of the 114 applicants “just one candidate” cleared swimming test in the given time, stated Sanjit Rodrigues, managing director of the GTDC. As a result, the GTDC entrusted with the task of recruitment of lifeguard has approached the government with a request to relax recruitment criteria, he added.
The government proposes to recruit around 100 lifeguards including some women. It started taking action in this matter only when it came under heavy fire following number of drowning cases.
The government’s apathy was further exposed when lifeguards attached to department of tourism went on indefinite strike demanding that they be taken into regular service.
A case pertaining to this issue is pending in court.
Under fresh recruitment a candidate has to take mandatory test in which he has to swim 400 meters in nine minutes and run 2 kms within 12 minutes.
Some finished the test of swimming 400 meters, but took more time, on the other hand some could not even stand the test of water and had to be rescued, said Rodrigues.
He further said, there could be relaxation as far as age limit and even education qualification is concerned. “We can at least train those who completed 400 mts of swimming. But we can’t even think of considering those who can’t swim properly.”
Selected candidates will be trained in Surf Life Saving Techniques (SLST) through the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), he said.
With at least one or two drowning deaths per week, Goa is increasingly gaining notoriety for the danger on its beaches. The alarming regularity of deaths by drowning in Goa has been a cause of concern. The small State known for its silvery beaches has also gained notoriety for the ills of tourism like drugs, rave parties, sex tourism and mismanagement of garbage. It can now add one more to its list — tourist drowning off Goan beaches.
One thing is sure: to man the entire 105-kilometer, or 65-mile coastline during the off season is a Herculean task for the tourism department. Most of the lifeguards employed by the tourism department are on daily wages. Around 69 lifeguards, deployed on 30 beaches had gone on strike demanding that their services be regularised.
And during the tourism season, which starts in November and ends in the month of March, lifeguards have an uphill task. The grievance of the lifeguards is the lack of safety and rescue equipment provided by the department, which complicates matters when they undertake rescue operations at sea. Most of the deaths occurring in Goa have been Indian tourists coming to Goa for a monsoon holiday and also drowning deaths of Indians during the peak tourism season.
The most notorious deaths are on the Calangute beach and also to some extent in Colva in South Goa. Figures show that around 200 lives have been lost due to drowning in the last four years.

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THE ORIGINAL STORY

DEATH STALKING GOAN BEACHES -- Tourists drowning at sea cause of concern
Armstrong Vaz
Published 2006-11-14 07:21 (KST)
With at least one or two drowning deaths per week Goa is increasingly gaining notoriety for the danger on its beaches.
The tourist season is set to roll in at the start of the month in the Indian state of Goa. The monsoon fury at sea is slowly fading away. Beach waves are lashing the shore at a galloping but still much slower pace. The sea water is choppy. Swimming in the turbulent water is inviting trouble.
Numerous Indian tourists from various parts of the country invariably fall into the trap of just dipping their feet in the sea water or swimming in the shallow beach waters and end up getting dragged in by the undercurrent, only to be engulfed by the furious monsoon waves.
The alarming regularity of deaths by drowning in Goa has been a cause of concern. The small state known for its silvery beaches has gained notoriety for the ills of tourism like drugs, rave parties, sex tourism and mismanagement of garbage. It can now add one more to its list -- tourist drowning on the Goan beaches.
But who is to be blamed for the deaths on the Goan beaches?
One thing is sure; to man the entire 105-kilometer, or 65-mile coastline during the off season is a Herculean task for the tourism department. Most of the life guards employed by the tourism department are on daily wages. Around 69 lifeguards, deployed at 30 Goan beaches had gone on strike to demand their services be regularized.
And during the tourism season, which starts in November and ends in the month of March, life guards have an uphill task. The grievance of the life guards is the lack of safety and rescue equipment provided by the department which complicates matters when they undertake rescue operations at sea.
Most of the deaths occurring in Goa have been Indian tourists coming to Goa for a monsoon holiday and also drowning deaths of Indians during the peak tourism season.
The most notorious deaths are on the Calangute beach and also to some extent in Colva in South Goa.
Figures show that around 200 lives have been lost due to drowning in the last four years.
Tourists are drawn to Goa to enjoy the sun, surf and sand - that is the way Goa is generally projected on the tourism scene. Swimming on Goan beaches is a pleasurable exercise.
Goan beachside hotels have their own private beach swimming pools meant to be exclusively used by their clients. Tourists coming to Goa are drawn towards swimming in the sea. Their folly is that they don't realize that swimming in the sea requires a disciplined approach and a complete mastery over swimming.
Beaches are deceptive -- serene on the outside but with strong undercurrents which can pull you away from the shore. Even a good swimmer should remember that swimming in the sea and the pool is as different as chalk and cheese.
Coming to the rainy season, Fisherman pull up their canoes into the fishing house as fishing activity comes to a standstill in the rainy season.
Now the tourism department has floated the idea of recruiting female life guards on the Goan beaches. The proposal is to recruit tough women from the fisher fold community as life guards.
Besides the holiday makers from other parts of India drowning deaths have also occurred with youths taking a plunge into the sea in an intoxicated state.
One restaurant owner running a temporary enterprise during the season at the beach for the last 17 years, Dominic Alfonso, says that the tourism department should train shack owners and staff to help rescue people and also provide necessary equipment, as he feels that life guards cannot control the entire coastline.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Sanjeet Rodrigues says that the department plan to recruit 100 lifeguards and five supervisors who will look after the entire coastline of Goa. Goa gets an average of 60,000 to 70,000 tourists every year.

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