At a World Drowning Prevention Day event in Kolkata, two community responders who assisted in saving a two-year-old child discovered floating unconscious in a village pond were recognized as lifesavers.

In response, Manju and Sonamoni, community representatives connected to the Child in Need Institute (CINI), received assistance from a nearby medical professional. The child was transported to the closest government hospital, which is roughly 35 kilometers away, after receiving initial emergency care. According to CINI, the medical staff’s quick response ensured her recovery. Attending the event, the mother of the child thanked the medical professionals and responders for assisting in the safe return of her daughter to the family.

Additionally, five members of the Kolkata Police were recognized for saving lives during recent water-related crises. Debasish Baidya, a police representative, advised people to be more cautious around rivers, ponds, and other bodies of water, noting that trained personnel, jet skis, and specialized rescue equipment were available.

The program, which was organized by CINI under WHO’s 2026 theme, Unite to Turn the Tide, brought the organization’s community experience into direct communication with WHO India and India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Additionally, it commemorated eight years of CINI’s efforts to prevent drowning in West Bengal.

Dr. Mohammed Asheel, Public-Health Expert and National Professional Officer for Injuries at WHO India, and Dr. Manas Pratim Roy, Assistant Director General, Directorate General of Health Services, MOHFW, Government of India, urged governments, local authorities, emergency services, researchers, and communities to take coordinated, evidence-based action.

Additionally, CINI has released the second edition of The Silent Truth, a media compendium that compiles 907 news stories from all over West Bengal about drowning deaths. Many incidents, especially in rural areas, never make it to the media or official reporting systems, according to the organization, which called the collection only the tip of the iceberg. The figure is not a count of deaths; rather, it represents media coverage, since a single report may cover multiple fatalities.

More than 8,000 community members and frontline staff have received CPR and emergency response training from CINI. Additionally, it recorded 74 distinct events that were coordinated with local institutions, communities, and government officials throughout West Bengal. Swimming and water safety classes, diving, water polo, rallies, CPR demonstrations, school programs, community theater, alpana art, and inclusive initiatives with people with disabilities and disability organizations were among the events.

The Kolkata program included water-safety plays by youth and community teams, as well as demonstrations of CPR, safe rescue, and Float to Live. Research, training, and community involvement were emphasized in video messages from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Alongside the festivities, a question about the future was posed by the elected chief minister of a Child Parliament, a non-political forum for children in Dakshin Dinajpur. The young representative inquired about the progress made by stakeholders in putting India’s December 2023-unveiled Strategic Framework for Drowning Prevention into practice.

Although the question was constructive, it put a clear measure in front of the adults in the room: fewer avoidable deaths, safer water bodies, and better-prepared communities. How quickly the young lawmaker gets that response is a matter of time.

Priyanka Dutta