DDMA to prepare data based action plan to prevent drowning incidents in Ernakulam

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has initiated steps to prepare a data-driven action plan to prevent drowning accidents in the district following repeated incidents reported from different parts of Ernakulam.

The ongoing effort assumes significance as the district has witnessed a spate of drowning incidents in recent times, the latest being the death of Delhi-based model Divyanshu Josha. A 26-year-old youth drowned in an abandoned quarry at Pettamala near Kuruppampada in Perumbavoor on Thursday afternoon. He reportedly entered the water while scouting locations for a commercial.

As part of this plan, the DDMA has started collecting data on drowning incidents reported over the past three years. Data is collected from the police and fire service to identify outbreaks with recurring cases. After identification, site-specific preventive measures will be proposed based on the nature of the water body and its surroundings. The proposal also includes ensuring availability of basic rescue equipment such as ropes, bags and lifebuoys at vulnerable locations,” said Anjali Parameswaran, risk analyst, DDMA.

One of the main problems officials face in collecting the data is that police and fire department records also include suicides. Incidents will need to be verified to determine if a particular location is indeed prone to accidents.

The DDMA plans to implement the scheme by July next year after getting approval from the state disaster management authority.

Officials said local authorities have been repeatedly informed to ensure safety measures and install warning boards at the abandoned quarry ponds. In the latest incident at Perumbavoor, warning boards have already been put up in the quarry, according to officials.

The DDMA also said that awareness courses are held regularly, especially in educational institutions, with the support of National Disaster Response Force and Fire and Rescue Service personnel.

Earlier this year, the Fire Rescue Service identified 68 drowning risk zones under 17 fire stations in the district. Ernakulam reported 317 drowning deaths between 2023 and 2025.

Just this year, a teenage boy drowned in a lake at Nettoor, while three 22-year-old students of Baselios Dental College drowned in the Palavanpadi river at Vadattupara near Kothamangalam. In another incident on April 29, three nursing students drowned in a Periyar Valley canal at Asamannoor near Perumbavoor.

Published – 30 May 2026 01:26 IST