Boost infra to save lives

While the intense heatwave in Kashmir, a dangerous trend has re-emerged with people, especially youth and children, bathing in rivers, streams and irrigation canals to escape the scorching temperatures. While understandable on a human level, this practice has increasingly led to tragic outcomes, with multiple drownings already reported this season. It is time for authorities to enforce a complete ban on bathing in natural water bodies, not as a punitive measure, but as a life-saving necessity. Every summer, the same heart-wrenching headlines surface: promising young lives lost to drowning, devastated families left to grieve and communities shaken by preventable tragedies. Despite repeated advisories and awareness campaigns, the behavior persists, emboldened by lack of enforcement, limited access to safe recreational alternatives, and a deep-rooted cultural habit of turning to rivers for respite from heat. But rivers and streams in Kashmir are far from safe. They are swift, deep and unpredictable. A ban alone, however, is not enough. It must be paired with strict enforcement by local authorities and police, especially in high-risk areas, installation of warning signs in local languages at key bathing spots, public awareness campaigns in schools, mosques, and community centers and development of safe, community-based cooling centers or swimming facilities, particularly for youth. Parents and community elders must also take responsibility by actively discouraging children from venturing into rivers. Religious leaders, who hold moral authority in many areas, should use sermons to raise awareness about the sanctity of life and the importance of heeding safety warnings.