Keep track of children playing in water

Kota: The educational year of the school students has concluded and the fun of summer vacation has commenced. Every year, there are several reports in Karavali, of children venturing out into water holes, lakes, stream and beaches to enjoy and tragically losing their lives.

This time too recently, three minor students of one family drowned in a water tank in Puttur. Therefore, it is essential that the parents maintain a close watch on the activities of their children during the vacation.

Maintain a watch

During the summer vacation, parents need to keep an eye on the activities of their children. Parents need to keep tabs on where their children are going, with whom they are going and are there any dangerous water holes near the place where the children are playing. It is not advised to take little children along while visiting a water hole to wash clothes.

Caution necessary

Quarries at various locations in the rural areas end up as death traps. For permitted mining, the permit owners must install a fence around the quarries or face legal action. There is a rule which holds the permit owner and the one has issued the permit responsible for any tragedies occurring in the quarries due to violation of rules. Along with this, quarries, stream, lakes, drainage and tanks found open in government properties pose danger and caution must be taken in connection to this. Earlier during the summer vacations, the free time was put to good use by the students visiting their relative’s homes and gaining some wisdom from their grandparents and elders which would be useful for life. But for the current generation, mobile and video games are everything. Hence, visiting a relative’s home is a rare occurrence. By sending the children to a relative’s home, the children’s addiction for mobile and video games may be prevented.

Successive tragedies during summers and monsoons

The tragedies that have occurred in connection to water in Udupi district during the summer and monsoons from 2015 to May 2018 are as follows. 3 cases and 4 deaths at Brahmavar police station, 2 tragedies and 2 deaths in Hebri, 7 incidents and 10 deaths in Kota, 1 incident and 1 death in Byndoor, 2 cases and 2 deaths in Karkala, 4 tragedies and 5 deaths in Kundapur, 1 case and 2 deaths in Manipal, 1 case and 2 deaths in Shankaranarayana, 1 incident and 1 death in Kollur, and 1 case and 1 death in Malpe. Thus in 23 cases, 30 lives have been lost.