KOCHI: The summer vacation, which the students eagerly look forward to unwind themselves from the rough and tumble of academic pressures, has in recent years become a nightmare for the parents since an unusually high number of deaths of children due to drowning has been reported in Ernakulam district as well as from across the state.
Even though the Education Department had promised to include swimming as a subject at the school-level in the wake of growing number of children meeting with a watery grave, it turned out to be mere rhetoric.
Last year 38 students--seven of them from Ernakulam-- died due to drowning in the state. This year,five students have already drowned even though it is only a fortnight into the summer break.
However, majority of the officials in the Education Department refused to comment on the issue, saying they were busy with the valuation work.
“Right now, we are busy with the valuation of answer sheets. We can meet and discuss the matter once the paper valuation is over,” an Education Department official here told Express.
According to Saji Valasseri, who taught swimming to more than 800 students free of cost, “The government must make swimming lessons mandatory for all the school students since Kerala has several rivers and water bodies”. “Whenever a road accident takes place, the authorities strictly enforce the traffic rules.
However, when a drowning incident occurs, no action is taken,” he said.
Ironically, lack of familiarity with the site, failure to heed the warnings and dearth of safety measures result in several outings turning into avoidable tragedies.
Malayattoor, Paniyeli Poru, Kodanad and the tourist hangouts near Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam and Piravom had witnessed the highest number of deaths due to drowning in the last five years. Besides, the beaches are prone to drowning deaths.
Lately, lives have been lost when the travellers try to click selfies, while positioning themselves in perilous angles.
However, the Disaster Management Department is taking steps to avert the incidents of drowning in the district.
“Paniyeli Poru is one of the tourist hotspots where a high number of accidents are reported each year, especially during the summer vacation.
“In the next few weeks, we would be installing boards with catchy words to prevent the children from foraying into the treacherous water bodies. Similarly, to avoid drowning deaths at the beaches, we will be providing classes to the lifeguards appointed there.
“A proposal to impart swimming lessons to the school children is under the government’s active consideration,” said Sharan S, subject expert, Disaster Management Department, Ernakulam.