By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Apr. 2: Twelve-year-old Kamlesh Kahar had left his home for a pond located in Ward No. 12 of Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality in Lumbini to cleanse the stains on his body and clothes left by the colours of Holi festival on Monday. But he never returned home. He got drowned in the pond.
The boy was rescued right after he was spotted falling into the pond and then rushed to the Universal College of Medical Sciences and Teaching Hospital for treatment but died while undergoing treatment.
Similarly, five-year-old Prince Thapa, from Madhuban Municipality in Bardiya district, got drowned the same day. He, along with his friends, had gone to the Orahi River for swimming where he was drowned.
He too was rescued from the river and rushed towards Bardiya Hospital but later died on the way. Alongside Kahar and Thapa, two other children also drowned on Monday.
Ayush Chaudhary, 15, vanished from view while swimming in the Karnali River flowing along Tikapur Municipality. Police retrieved his body from the river after a search. Likewise, Kailash, 9, from Kathariya, also died while swimming in the Kada River along Bardagoriya Rural Municipality in Kailai district.
Drowning is one of the major causes of accidental deaths among people worldwide. The World Health Organisation states that approximately 42 persons die by drowning every hour across the world, and over half of the victims are aged under 25 years.
The organization further states that drowning is among the 10 leading causes of death among children and youngsters in all parts of the world, with children aged under 5 years being most vulnerable.
While most incidences of drowning among grown-ups occur mostly due to their own negligence, incidents among children are attributable to the negligence of their guardians, the grown-ups, informed senior police officers.
“Grown-ups can decide whether the water level is safe for them to swim, but that’s not the case for children,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and spokesperson for Central Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar. He added that seniors and guardians must keep an eye on their children, even if that means through technology-enabled surveillance system, and restrict them from swimming in treacherous waters if we are to witness less cases of drowning.
“Children are drowning not only in rivers or ponds, but also in shallower places where water quantity is much less.
So unwavering vigilance on the part of their guardians is the only way forward to minimize such untoward incidences,” warned SSP Kunwar.
On October 31 last year, 14-month-old Ramkumar Mainali, son of Yubaraj Mainali of Hariban Municipality, in Sarlahi district, got drowned in a milk-filled pot. According to the police, the child fell into the pot while playing around.
Nepal Police also suggested that keeping an eye on others while swimming is necessary not only for rescuing a drowning individual at the earliest but also for identifying whether the drowning was intentional or accidental.
“Some cases of drowning can be intentional homicides; others can be suicides. It is wise to go for swimming in the company of others, not alone.
She should be accompanied by someone who knows how to swim well.
This can help in bringing the drowning individual back to safety. In case of children, they mustn’t be allowed to go on their own. Every member of the society has an important role to play in order to ward off drowning,” said SSP Kunwar.