16 drowning hotspots identified in dist
The administration also stepped-up efforts to implement preventive measures and raise awareness about water safety.
According to statistics released by fire and rescue department, 352 people, including children and foreign nationals, died due to drowning in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram between 2019 and 2025. The data reveals that 315 of the victims were men, while 37 were women.
In response, the district administration, in coordination with fire and rescue department, tourism department and local self-govt institutions, initiated steps to officially declare several drowning hotspots as disaster-prone areas under the provisions of Disaster Management Act.
Sixteen locations were identified for this designation based on the frequency and severity of past incidents including Kallar, Aruvippuram and Aruvikkara Dam.
As part of the initiative, authorities launched a year-long campaign titled 'Jeevanam – A War of Vigilance for Life' aimed at educating the public on the importance of water safety and taking pre-emptive steps to avoid further loss of life. The district-level inauguration of the campaign was carried out by district collector Anu Kumari.
The newly launched campaign includes initiatives designed to strengthen safety protocols around these water bodies. Warning signs will be installed at all the designated danger zones, while targeted awareness campaigns will be conducted across schools and rural communities.
Plans are also under way to deploy trained lifeguards at all identified danger zones and to establish first-aid posts nearby to ensure an immediate response in case of emergencies.
These measures are part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce fatalities and enhance public preparedness.
In addition to awareness drives, fire and safety department will conduct live demonstrations and training sessions throughout the district. These will be held in schools and for people working near water bodies to improve their understanding of drowning prevention and rescue techniques.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- The Hindu
Culture of risk: on safety and a mass gathering
A day apart, two pilgrimages in North India have endured chaos. Eight people died on the steep stairway to Haridwar's Mansa Devi shrine on July 27 after a rumour spread that a snapped power line was live. The next day, at Avsaaneshwar temple in Barabanki, monkeys reportedly damaged an overhead cable, sparking panic that killed two persons. Both incidents were triggered by fears of electrocution. Such hazards at temples are not new: makeshift wiring draped over stalls and overloaded transformers are common sights at melas. However, neither shrine had an automatic power cutoff or a public-address system capable of debunking misinformation. The Haridwar probe will almost certainly reiterate older recommendations such as underground cabling and real-time voltage monitoring. However, the threat is incidental. Except for two major stampedes in recent memory (in Bengaluru and Hyderabad), all such tragedies have occurred at religious mass gatherings or in the course of attending them. They occur despite multiple guidelines and court orders due to authorities' collective desensitisation to risk. On paper, Uttarakhand has a crowd-management manual for the Char Dham and the NDMA's guidelines say that every event must calculate carrying capacity, stagger entry, maintain redundant escape routes, and hold drills. Yet, at Mansa Devi, the stairway that doubles as entry and exit was used without scheduling, and the only alternative route had much lower carrying capacity. In Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, the response centred on compensation rather than structural reform. The NDMA norms need to be legally binding, with severe consequences for persons, enterprises or businesses that fail to protect lives. At present, States choose provisions from the norms and temple trusts often treat them as optional because pilgrim facilities fall under charitable exemptions in many building codes. Routine 'darshan' does not require safety certification even when daily footfall exceeds that of a sports stadium. States also bank on ad hoc volunteers and under-trained guards to manage surges. However, annual drills mandated under the Disaster Management Act are rarely held for regular worship, while funds earmarked for permanent infrastructure are often diverted to festivals. The time has come to eradicate the notion of a simply planned or cheap mass gathering event, religious or otherwise. When footfall exceeds a preset threshold, a single incident-command structure must come into effect. Authorities must deploy overhead LiDAR and AI cameras to calculate crowd density, with real-time alerts to help divert or throttle traffic. Finally, States must ensure that venues publish capacity charts at entrances, conduct and livestream quarterly drills to normalise a safety culture, and certify volunteers in basic life support and crowd psychology.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
16 drowning hotspots identified in dist
T'puram: With a sharp rise in drowning deaths reported across the district in recent years, the district disaster management authority and the district administration identified 16 drowning-prone zones in Thiruvananthapuram. The administration also stepped-up efforts to implement preventive measures and raise awareness about water safety. According to statistics released by fire and rescue department, 352 people, including children and foreign nationals, died due to drowning in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram between 2019 and 2025. The data reveals that 315 of the victims were men, while 37 were women. In response, the district administration, in coordination with fire and rescue department, tourism department and local self-govt institutions, initiated steps to officially declare several drowning hotspots as disaster-prone areas under the provisions of Disaster Management Act. Sixteen locations were identified for this designation based on the frequency and severity of past incidents including Kallar, Aruvippuram and Aruvikkara Dam. As part of the initiative, authorities launched a year-long campaign titled 'Jeevanam – A War of Vigilance for Life' aimed at educating the public on the importance of water safety and taking pre-emptive steps to avoid further loss of life. The district-level inauguration of the campaign was carried out by district collector Anu Kumari. The newly launched campaign includes initiatives designed to strengthen safety protocols around these water bodies. Warning signs will be installed at all the designated danger zones, while targeted awareness campaigns will be conducted across schools and rural communities. Plans are also under way to deploy trained lifeguards at all identified danger zones and to establish first-aid posts nearby to ensure an immediate response in case of emergencies. These measures are part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce fatalities and enhance public preparedness. In addition to awareness drives, fire and safety department will conduct live demonstrations and training sessions throughout the district. These will be held in schools and for people working near water bodies to improve their understanding of drowning prevention and rescue techniques.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Cachar bans public entry at Sindura tourist spots after 2 drown in a week
Silchar: In the wake of a tragic drowning incident that claimed the lives of two youths earlier this week, Cachar district administration has imposed restrictions on public entry to several vulnerable tourist spots in the Sindura area under Katigorah revenue circle. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The two young men reportedly drowned while bathing in the Kalain river during a recreational outing with friends, highlighting the urgent need for safety oversight in the region. The incident prompted authorities to carry out an assessment of the area, which revealed a glaring lack of basic infrastructure, safety protocols, and disaster preparedness at the popular yet risky sites. Invoking Section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Cachar DC has enforced an immediate ban on public access to the identified spots. The restriction will remain in effect until further notice. Officials said the move is aimed at preventing further mishaps in the absence of safety arrangements. "Public safety is our top priority. We urge citizens to cooperate and refrain from visiting the restricted areas until adequate safety measures are put in place," the district administration said in an official statement. The directive has been communicated to the circle officer of Katigorah, block development officers of Kalain and Katigorah, and police officers, outposts, and members of the village defence parties. Law enforcement agencies have been tasked with ensuring strict implementation of the order, and violators will face action under the Disaster Management Act and other relevant legal provisions. Both Kalain and Katigorah police stations have been asked to carry out regular monitoring of the affected areas. District officials have assured that entry will be reopened only after the installation of proper infrastructure and disaster management systems.
