Ranchi: Jharkhand recorded 3,674 drowning deaths from 2020 to 2024, according to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The toll has risen over the five years.Jharkhand chapter of the National Health Mission (NHM), in collaboration with Child In Need Institute (CINI), organised the state’s first meeting on drowning prevention in Ranchi on Wednesday.NHM Jharkhand’s Shashi Prakash Jha said, “NCRB data reveal 675 drowning deaths in Jharkhand in 2022, an average of two lives lost every day. These figures underline the seriousness of the issue and the urgent need for coordinated prevention. The first state-level workshop is a strategic step among all stakeholders to draft a statewide framework to curb drowning deaths.”Forest, environment and climate change secretary Aboobacker Siddique urged departments to make water bodies and forest-linked tourism sites safer through risk mapping, safety signage, barriers, designated safe zones, emergency equipment, and stronger monsoon precautions.“For reducing drowning deaths, identification of potential accident spots and adopting preventive measures around them is a must along with strengthening community-level participation through health workers, tourism department volunteers and grassroots-level workers,” he said.CINI’s Jharkhand state head Sujoy Roy said, “A key outcome of the consultation was the proposal to develop a Jharkhand State Action Framework for Drowning Prevention. The proposed framework would focus on drowning hotspot mapping, safety measures at high-risk locations, community awareness and training, seasonal preparedness, stronger surveillance and clear institutional responsibilities.”Officials said the consultation marks the first coordinated attempt to bring health, tourism, forest and grassroots systems together to reduce preventable deaths around ponds, rivers, reservoirs and water sites.
