Bhubaneswar, June 18 -- With nearly 9,000 people having lost their lives in drowning incidents across Odisha over the past five years, the state government on Thursday decided to chalk out a comprehensive action plan to curb such fatalities through improved safety measures, trained lifeguards and public awareness campaigns.
The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhawan.
Senior officials, including Director General of Fire Services and Home Guards Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi and Additional Relief Commissioner Padmanabha Behera, reviewed the causes of drowning deaths and discussed preventive strategies.
Official data show that children and youths account for a majority of the victims,...