NT Reporter
Panaji
On the eve of World Drowning Prevention Day, which will be observed on Saturday, the Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) has urged the North Goa administration to prepare a comprehensive action plan for 2026-27 to prevent drowning deaths across the district.
The organisation said the measures should be finalised well before the tourism season begins on September 27, observed as World Tourism Day. “While waterfalls and rivers remain major locations of concern, drowning incidents have also taken place in rivulets, ponds, lakes, wells, quarries, tanks and swimming pools across the five talukas of Tiswadi, Bardez, Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari,” said GOACAN in a letter to North Goa Collector Ankit Yadav.
GOACAN requested the Collector to convene a joint meeting of all concerned departments and agencies to prepare a coordinated action plan aimed at reducing drowning cases across the district.
“The proposed meeting should discuss preventive measures including installing warning signboards, displaying emergency telephone numbers, increasing police patrolling at vulnerable locations, banning alcohol consumption near rivers, ensuring the availability of life-saving equipment at strategic locations, issuing advisories for educational institutions, conducting stakeholder training and launching a time-bound public awareness campaign on drowning prevention,” it said.
GOACAN also requested the Collector to consider drowning prevention a priority under disaster management.
The consumer rights and public safety NGO said the meeting should include representatives from the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Goa Police, Department of Water Resources, Department of Tourism, Directorate of Fisheries, Directorate of Health Services, Directorate of Agriculture, Public Works Department, Excise Department, Directorate of Education, Higher Education and Technical Education, Consumer Affairs, Department of Urban Development, Directorate of Panchayats, Drishti Marine and GIPARD.
