Over 25 drown daily in Bengal, half are children: Survey
Stated differently, this means that over 9,000 lives are lost annually from drowning in the state, the survey conducted last year on a population of about 18 million people of the state, revealed.
The study also found that children between 1 to 9 years were the most vulnerable and recorded a mortality rate of 121 per lakh, which is among the highest ever recorded globally.
The findings of the survey, conducted by Child in Need Institute and The George Institute for Global Health, was released in the city on Friday and discussed on the occasion of World Drowning Prevention Day. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights also participated in the talks.
The day serves as a global call to action, urging governments, communities, and individuals to implement proven strategies to prevent drowning and save lives, especially among children in high-risk regions like rural Bengal.
Founder Secretary of CINI and eminent physician Dr Samir Chaudhuri told PTI that the actual number of deaths is higher than 25 as the deceased children don't have Aadhaar cards and deaths in many of the households are not reported.
"Of the three lakh drowning deaths reported worldwide every year, 18 per cent fatalities are reported in India alone. West Bengal accounts for over 17 per cent of those deaths taking place in the country," another CINI official said, quoting the survey conducted during March-December, 2024.
CINI CEO Indrani Bhattacharya said, "It has been observed that children between the age of 1-4 years accidentally drown in nearby water bodies when the mother is busy performing her household chores. At times, older children between the age limits of 4-10 years drown while playing, swimming, bathing and cannot be revived without CPR method."
The report states that most of the deaths take place between noon and 2 pm when the parents are away working in fields or doing other manual jobs.
"The blame for those accidents usually falls on the mother, which is unfair," Bhattacharya said.
Asked about preventive steps, Bhattacharya said fencing has been undertaken at 101 spots on experimental basis with the active involvement of local panchayats who can persuade owners of waterbodies to ensure public safety.
She said her organisation has set up 'Kavach Centres' or child shelters in the Sunderbans area to look after toddlers during those vulnerable afternoon hours whose parents remain busy in kitchens or in the fields.
WBCPCR chairperson Tulika Das said the commission will act on the recommendations of CINI and other stakeholders aiming at reducing drowning deaths.
"The figure quoted here is startling and we need to act on it to drastically reduce the number of drowning casualties. We need to undertake steps to prevent drowning deaths by ensuring children don't trip in ponds and ensure they receive CPR for revival, in case they do," she said.
"In over 93 per cent of cases involving children, there was no adult present at the time of the incident, and almost all rescues, over 90 per cent, were carried out by untrained family members or people in the neighbourhood," the survey stated.
Only 10 per cent of the victims received CPR , while just 12 per cent sought medical attention after being pulled from the water, it found.
Incidentally, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched the National Strategy for Prevention of Unintentional Injury in 2024, and drowning was identified as one of four key areas of importance.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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New Indian Express
2 days ago
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West Bengal sees 25 drowning deaths daily, half of them children: Survey
Over 25 deaths by drowning on an average are reported every day in West Bengal, with half of the deceased being children, a recent survey has said, while advocating more public awareness to prevent such incidents. The numbers add up to over 9,000 people losing their lives annually in West Bengal due to drowning, the survey conducted last year on a population of about 18 million people of the state revealed. The study also found that children between one and nine years of age were the most vulnerable and recorded a mortality rate of 121 per lakh, which is among the highest ever recorded globally. The findings of the survey, conducted by NGO Child in Need Institute (CINI) and The George Institute for Global Health, was released in Kolkata on Friday and discussed on the occasion of World Drowning Prevention Day. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) also participated in the discussion. The day served as a global call to action, urging governments, communities, and individuals to implement proven strategies to prevent drowning and save lives, especially among children in high-risk regions like rural West Bengal. Founder Secretary of CINI and eminent physician Dr Samir Chaudhuri told PTI that the actual number of deaths per day is higher than 25 as deaths in many of the households are not reported. "Of the three lakh drowning deaths reported worldwide every year, 18 per cent of the fatalities are reported in India alone. West Bengal accounts for over 17 per cent of those deaths taking place in the country," another CINI official said, quoting the survey conducted during March-December, 2024. CINI CEO Indrani Bhattacharya said, "It has been observed that children between the age of one and four years drown in nearby water bodies when their mothers are busy performing household chores. At times, older children between the age of four to ten years drown while playing, swimming, bathing and cannot be revived without CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) method." The report states that most of the deaths take place between noon and 2 pm when the parents are away working in fields or doing other manual jobs. "The blame for those accidents usually falls on the mother, which is unfair," Bhattacharya said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
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25 die daily from drowning in West Bengal, half are children: new study finds
On World Drowning Prevention Day (July 25), a Statewide survey in West Bengal has revealed that 25 people die from drowning every day, of whom 12 are children. The annual toll, estimated at 9,191 deaths, is nearly three times higher than previous official estimates. The study conducted by The George Institute for Global Health described as the largest community-level drowning survey ever conducted in India, covered all 23 districts of West Bengal, surveying a population of 18 million. They gathered data from 15,000 community members. 'This research uncovers the true, devastating burden plaguing rural regions of West Bengal,' said Dr. Medhavi Gupta from The George Institute. 'As most deaths occur in children, families often do not report them, and poor health infrastructure leads to systemic undercounting.' According to the survey, children between 1-9 years are the highest risk group, they account for 48% of the deaths. Toddlers between 1-2 years are at 30% higher risk and most deaths occur within 50 metres of the house, especially between 12 noon and 2 pm, when caregivers are often busiest. Another striking data says that 93% of the children drowned when no adults were present around them. Dr. B Mohammed Asheel from the World Health Organization, India said, 'Although the global drowning death rate has declined 38% over the past two decades, low-and middle-income countries have been left behind. 92% of deaths still occur in these countries.' He insisted that since they already know the right steps to prevent drowning, it is important to start implementing them on the ground. Experts from the field have noted that inadequate understanding about drowning and post drowning response makes the deaths higher. 'Harmful and ineffective rescue efforts were common, inducing vomiting and spin over the head. Only 10% of victims received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with rescue breaths, which is the best-practice response for a drowning victim. Only 12% sought medical assistance,' the official statement from The George Institute stated. The survey has also offered policy recommendations like fencing around ponds and water bodies to protect toddlers, community CPR and rescue training because 90% of the first responders are community members. They also suggested that active swimming training of children from a young age can also bring about positive change. The study, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and co-authored with the Child in Need Institute (CINI), aims to drive policy change and community action. CINI's National Advocacy Officer, Sujoy Roy, who has extensively worked on the issue at ground level, said that they are ready to work with stakeholders to end drowning. 'These deaths are 100% preventable. If the young children are kept under the watch of adults, then all of them can be saved,' Mr Roy told The Hindu during the Drowning Prevention Day program organised by CINI. He also highlighted that the 25 daily death rates is the modest report, the numbers may be more if a even finer and in-depth study is conducted.
Hindustan Times
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Over 25 drown daily in Bengal, half are children: Survey
Kolkata, An alarming number of over 25 deaths on an average by drowning are reported daily from West Bengal, half of whom are children, a recent survey has said while advocating more public awareness to prevent the menace. Over 25 drown daily in Bengal, half are children: Survey Stated differently, this means that over 9,000 lives are lost annually from drowning in the state, the survey conducted last year on a population of about 18 million people of the state, revealed. The study also found that children between 1 to 9 years were the most vulnerable and recorded a mortality rate of 121 per lakh, which is among the highest ever recorded globally. The findings of the survey, conducted by Child in Need Institute and The George Institute for Global Health, was released in the city on Friday and discussed on the occasion of World Drowning Prevention Day. The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights also participated in the talks. The day serves as a global call to action, urging governments, communities, and individuals to implement proven strategies to prevent drowning and save lives, especially among children in high-risk regions like rural Bengal. Founder Secretary of CINI and eminent physician Dr Samir Chaudhuri told PTI that the actual number of deaths is higher than 25 as the deceased children don't have Aadhaar cards and deaths in many of the households are not reported. "Of the three lakh drowning deaths reported worldwide every year, 18 per cent fatalities are reported in India alone. West Bengal accounts for over 17 per cent of those deaths taking place in the country," another CINI official said, quoting the survey conducted during March-December, 2024. CINI CEO Indrani Bhattacharya said, "It has been observed that children between the age of 1-4 years accidentally drown in nearby water bodies when the mother is busy performing her household chores. At times, older children between the age limits of 4-10 years drown while playing, swimming, bathing and cannot be revived without CPR method." The report states that most of the deaths take place between noon and 2 pm when the parents are away working in fields or doing other manual jobs. "The blame for those accidents usually falls on the mother, which is unfair," Bhattacharya said. Asked about preventive steps, Bhattacharya said fencing has been undertaken at 101 spots on experimental basis with the active involvement of local panchayats who can persuade owners of waterbodies to ensure public safety. She said her organisation has set up 'Kavach Centres' or child shelters in the Sunderbans area to look after toddlers during those vulnerable afternoon hours whose parents remain busy in kitchens or in the fields. WBCPCR chairperson Tulika Das said the commission will act on the recommendations of CINI and other stakeholders aiming at reducing drowning deaths. "The figure quoted here is startling and we need to act on it to drastically reduce the number of drowning casualties. We need to undertake steps to prevent drowning deaths by ensuring children don't trip in ponds and ensure they receive CPR for revival, in case they do," she said. "In over 93 per cent of cases involving children, there was no adult present at the time of the incident, and almost all rescues, over 90 per cent, were carried out by untrained family members or people in the neighbourhood," the survey stated. Only 10 per cent of the victims received CPR , while just 12 per cent sought medical attention after being pulled from the water, it found. Incidentally, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched the National Strategy for Prevention of Unintentional Injury in 2024, and drowning was identified as one of four key areas of importance. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
