Another scorching summer is here, and so is the season for picnics, outings and excursions. People, through the years, are accustomed to going for swimming and recreation alongside rivers and water bodies, especially when the luxuries of swimming pools are out of bounds. The worrying part is that the State has reported a spate of drowning deaths with youngsters failing to negotiate the waters and losing their lives. These can’t be considered as isolated tragedies, but a growing public safety crisis that cannot be ignored. What’s particularly troubling is that these incidents often involve children and young people, making the urgency of the issue even harder to overlook.
Take the Selaulim Canal in Sanguem, for instance. On paper, the precautions are in place — warning signs, fencing, even restrictions on swimming. Yet, people continue to enter these waters, often taking for granted the flow of the water. The canal’s strong currents and sudden depths don’t always look threatening from the outside, and that false sense of safety has proved fatal time and again. Clearly, signs and partial fencing are not enough. Extending secure barriers may not appear practical because the canal stretches across vast parcels of land. The only solution here could be regular monitoring, community outreach, and stricter enforcement.
A similar pattern is visible at the Mhadei River in Bhironda, where multiple drownings have occurred over the past few years. Installing warning boards and increasing police presence are well-intentioned measures, but they often come after incidents rather than before them. What’s missing is a proactive approach with trained lifeguards, clearer risk communication, and a stronger emphasis on educating the public about the dangers of river bathing. Seasonal surges in visitors, often accompanied by risky behaviour and alcohol use, only make matters worse and call for tighter regulation.
Even popular Goan beaches, often seen as safer due to the presence of lifeguards, are not an exception. Recent incidents in Calangute, Ashwem, and Betalbatim highlight the unpredictability of the sea. Rip currents, shifting tides, and uncertain seabed can turn a routine outing into a life-threatening situation within minutes. No doubt, lifeguards have played a stellar role and saved many lives, but they should not be taken for granted. Moreover, visitors are now accustomed to choosing unmanned beach belts.
Nonetheless, there have been some positive moves. District authorities have begun identifying high-risk water bodies, installed warning boards, and made public appeals for caution. Although the gap between policy and implementation remains a concern. Awareness campaigns tend to be sporadic, enforcement uneven, and infrastructure incomplete.
At the heart of the problem is a widespread underestimation of water-related risks. Occasional warnings are not going to help; it calls for sustained, targeted awareness efforts, especially in educational institutes and social spaces. Ultimately, Goa’s rising drowning toll is a reminder that safety cannot rely on passive measures alone. It demands a coordinated and a consistent approach. Tourism and recreation are important, but they should never come at the cost of human life. If there is a priority to be set, it must begin with ensuring that people return home safely.
