Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, May 6: In a devastating series of incidents, two more young girls have lost their lives due to drowning—one in a canal in Quepem and another in a swimming pool in Agonda—bringing the total number of such tragedies to four in just nine days, and three within the last 24 hours. The alarming trend has sparked renewed concern over the lack of safety measures around water bodies across Goa.
On Sunday evening, an 8-year-old girl, Shahad, tragically drowned in the Selaulim Canal at Padamol-Sirvoi, Quepem. Shahad had accompanied her family to a wedding celebration near the canal. Around 6:30 p.m., she informed her mother that she was going to wash her legs at the canal. An hour later, when she didn’t return, her family began searching frantically, only to discover her lifeless body a short distance from the venue. Quepem police responded promptly, conducted a panchanama at the scene, and sent the body to the District Hospital in Margao for a post-mortem examination. This marks the fifth drowning in the Selaulim Canal in two years, raising serious concerns about the safety of areas adjacent to this water body.
In another tragedy, a 3-year-old girl from South Delhi drowned in a swimming pool at a resort in Agonda on Monday. The child had accompanied her parents to lunch at the resort and is believed to have wandered off unnoticed toward the pool, where she accidentally fell in. Despite being rushed to the Canacona Community Health Centre, the child was declared dead on arrival. A police panchanama was conducted, and the body was sent to the South Goa District Hospital in Margao for an autopsy before being handed over to the grieving family.
These incidents follow two similar tragedies in recent days. On May 5, a 6-year-old girl from Noida drowned in the sea at Baga, and on April 26, a 5-year-old girl lost her life after drowning in a swimming pool at a hotel in Arpora.
Earlier cases highlight the dangerous nature of the Selaulim Canal. On March 30, Prakash Gaonkar (57) drowned in Cotarli-Sanguem. In February 2024, two toddlers, Rehan Shrittey (13 months) and Wahid Hashmi (16 months), drowned while playing near their home in Carremoddi-Curchorem. In February 2023, Suresh Jadhav (13) drowned while bathing in the canal with a sibling.
The frequency of these incidents has alarmed residents and safety advocates, who are urging the Goa government to implement fencing around canals and pools, warning signage and monitoring systems, mandatory lifeguard presence at tourist resorts and beaches, and awareness campaigns for visiting families and locals. Without swift and effective safety measures, locals fear these tragic drownings may continue to rise, turning Goa’s scenic waters into deadly hazards for its youngest residents and visitors.