6 children die in Goa pools since 2017, child rights panel wants safety upped

Panaji: The recent death of a five-year-old Bengaluru boy in a pool at a Varca hotel, the sixth such tragedy since 2017 in Goa, has made the state’s child rights panel press for a safety review.
Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) on Thursday recommended that the tourism department revise security measures and enforce higher safety standards to avoid such tragedies.
The commission has recommended that all establishments, including theme parks and guesthouses, with swimming pools deploy an adequate number of trained lifeguards whenever the pools are operational. At other times, the commission said, access should not be given to the pools. “Children less than seven years of age should routinely be offered well-fitting, lifeguard-approved flotation devices and jackets,” GSCPCR said.
“It is very tragic to lose so many children to such a preventable cause of death,” said Peter Borges, the chairperson of GSCPCR. “The deaths appear to be due to the failure to make adequate provision of safety by hotels, guesthouses, theme parks and/or a transition lapse in parenting by the tourist.”
Borges added, “It is required of the Goa tourism department to promote responsible tourism and ensure the safety of tourists, including children.” He went on to say, “All such establishments have a duty to exercise reasonable care for the safety and security of their guests, including children.”
The commission’s chairperson said the establishments must maintain all areas, including pools, in a reasonably safe condition and warn children of the possible dangers.
“Such establishments must be held liable for negligence if their pool areas fail to comply with safety laws and requirements, including the availability of the appropriate safety equipment and lifeguards,” Borges said.