Bhubaneswar: There have been as many as 2064 deaths by drowning in the State in last three years, informed Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Assembly today. 

Responding to a query by BJP MLA Om Prakash Mishra about the number of drowning deaths in rivers, ponds and sea across districts and measures taken by the State government to reduce such mishaps, the CM furnished a detailed district-wise database on drowning deaths in various water bodies and said the government is making concerted efforts to identify susceptible regions in districts and raise awareness among people with safety guidelines in risky areas.

Besides, the government has Odisha State Watermanship and Lifeguard Institute (OSWALI), a dedicated centre in Ramchandi, Puri, where special training is imparted to fire and emergency service personnel and homeguards in cases of drowning. They have been deployed as homeguards in shorelines to prevent or rescue people on time in case of mishaps. 

As per the data, there have been 2064 drowning cases in last three years in water bodies including rivers, sea and ponds. Among all districts, Cuttack ranked the highest with 252 deaths, followed by Mayurbhanj (251), Koraput (207), Nabarangpur (102) and Balasore (99). Sonepur and Boudh had the lowest number of cases with nine and eight deaths, respectively in the corresponding period.