Archive · 7 Oct 2026
India’s Overlooked Drowning Deaths Demand Greater Public Safety Attention
A safety expert says many people in India die by drowning each year.
He says the number appears to have risen over time.
These deaths often happen one or a few people at a time, so many people do not hear about them.
He says drowning should be treated as a public-safety problem, not just as a series of separate accidents.
Water can be dangerous in places such as lakes, canals, pools and even buckets.
Children should not play near water without an adult watching them.
Schools and communities can teach people how to stay safe around water.
The expert also recommends safety campaigns and teaching children to swim.
Safety expert Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy says drowning deaths in India are rising, based on long-term National Crime Records Bureau data.
He says most drownings happen individually or in small groups, so they receive little public attention.
Thummarukudy says everyday drownings remain a challenge even as India’s disaster-management systems develop for climate-related emergencies.
He identifies public awareness, adult supervision of children, water-safety education and hazard marking as important prevention measures.
He recommends mandatory school water-safety education and campaigns in apartment buildings, on television and in cinemas.
- Who
- People in India at risk of drowning; safety expert Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy discussed the issue.
- What
- Drowning deaths are rising, according to long-term National Crime Records Bureau data cited by Thummarukudy, and he called for greater prevention efforts.
- When
- The article gives no publication date; it cites annual drowning losses and long-term trends.
- Where
- India, including rapidly urbanising areas such as Chennai and Kerala.
- Why
- Most incidents happen individually or in small numbers and are handled locally, so they attract limited public attention.
- Expert
- Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, safety expert and former chief of disaster risk reduction at the United Nations Environment Programme.
- Data cited
- Long-term National Crime Records Bureau indications suggest drowning-related deaths have increased in India.
- Kerala comparison
- Thummarukudy said Kerala lost more than 1,000 people to drowning in every year after 2004.
- Tsunami deaths
- He said Kerala had around 200 deaths in the 2004 tsunami.
- 2018 floods
- He said the 2018 Kerala floods resulted in fewer than 500 deaths.
- Recommended actions
- Make water-safety education mandatory in schools and run campaigns in apartment buildings, on television and in cinemas.
- Key prevention message
- Children should never play around water unsupervised; adults need water-safety awareness and should supervise children.