THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With drowning death tolls hitting over 350 between 2021 and 2025, the Thiruvananthapuram district administration has decided to launch a drowning prevention campaign. Being organised in connection with the World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the ‘Jeevanam- Jeevanodu Jagrathayode Yudham’ campaign will be launched by Education Minister V Sivankutty at Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School, Pattom, on Friday.
“The number of drowning deaths in the district is very concerning, especially when you consider that the deaths due to natural calamities in the district were not as high as this,” district collector Anu Kumari told TNIE.
Adding that these figures have not included the drowning deaths at sea, she mentioned that the campaign aims to inculcate proper water conscious practices, particularly among the youth, as they have a major proportion in the death toll.
Envisioned in multiple phases, the project will see the convergence of various departments, including fire and rescue, education, revenue and local self-government. The first phase will be awareness about drowning accidents, which will include actual demonstrations.
The second phase aims to have increased deployment of services, including lifeguards and infrastructure at critical points. The district administration has submitted the project to the Union government for allocation of funds, said the collector.
“Out of the 41 quays in the districts, we have identified over 15 sites, where drowning incidents regularly happen, with the help of fire force officers,” disaster management deputy collector Sreekumar G told TNIE. He added that data from the police will also be studied to identify the more drowning-prone areas, and warning boards will be place there.
Jointly organised by the district administration and district disaster management authority, the launch ceremony will be presided over by Vattiyoorkavu MLA V K Prasanth.
The collector, deputy mayor P K Raju, deputy commissioner T Farash, sub-collector Alfred O V, and other school officials will attend the event. Officials have also sent a letter to the deputy director of education to take a drowning prevention pledge in all schools of the district on Friday.