Police urge safety measures for local water bodies to prevent drowning during summer
Hyderabad: The police is many districts have advised village administrations on steps to take to prevent people, especially children, from drowning in local water bodies. The lakes and tanks are a popular destination during the summer, but there have been cases of unwary visitors drowning in them.
Vikarabad superintendent of police N. Koti Reddy released specific guidelines with regard to allowing children into the water.
"Parents are responsible to keep a vigil on their children. If the children want to learn to swim in lakes and ponds, the parents must accompany them. Experienced swimmers must teach the children. The village administration and revenue officials must identify safe lakes which are not deep," Koti Reddy said.
The Mahbubnagar police asked revenue officials to place warning boards at deep lakes and ponds and those that are not feasible for swimming due to the presence of weeds or rocks.
Mahbubnagar deputy superintendent of police T. Mahesh said there was no single instance of drowning in the district so far. “Some village administrations have come forward to put fencing at the dangerous lakes and ponds to prevent untoward incidents," he said.
"In Mahbubnagar, every village has two lakes which are full. We asked village-level police officers and sarpanches to create awareness among the villagers and put warning boards in front of lakes and ponds,” Mahesh said. Senior officials held a review meeting with all station house officers, who were asked to take co-ordinate revenue officials.
Death incidents of children
2023
April 18: Three children and a woman drown in a lake in Narayanpet district while learning to swim.
March 20: 20-year-old drowns in a lake at Narsapur of Medak district while learning to swim.
2022
August 13: Three pharmacy students drown in Akkampally balancing reservoir at Angadipet of Pedda Adisherlapally mandal in Nalgonda district.
May 21: Nine-year-old drowns in farm well at Chennarigudem of Chilkuru mandal in Nalgonda district.
March 24: Four children drowned in a tank at Kamalapur village in Narayankhed Mandal of Sangareddy district.
