Drowning remains a major global problem. In 2021, an estimated 300,000 people drowned – more than 30 lives lost every hour, according to the WHO. Almost half were under 29 years old, and a quarter – under five years old. India’s data is sparse, officially recording around 38,000 drowning deaths in 2022, although the actual number is likely much higher.
In the Sundarbans, harsh reality always exists. Over the years, children were either allowed to roam free or tied up with ropes and cloth to keep them from wandering. Chime bells were used to alert parents to their children’s movements, but in this unforgiving, water-covered landscape, nothing feels truly safe.
Kakoli Das’s six-year-old son stepped into an overflowing pond last summer while giving a neighbor a piece of paper. Unable to distinguish between the road and the water, Ishan drowned. As a child, he suffered seizures and could not learn to swim because of the risk of fever.
“Please, I’m asking every mother: fence your ponds, learn how to resuscitate your children and teach them to swim. This is about saving lives. We can’t afford to wait,” says Kakoli.
For now, the frag serves as a beacon of hope, offering a way to keep children safe from the dangers of water. On a recent afternoon, four-year-old Manik Pal sang a cheerful chorus of My Life Without Fear.
