Out Of Depth: How Child’s Death Has Exposed Safety Gaps In Pools | Delhi News

New Delhi: The drowning of 6-year-old Taksh Rathi in a swimming pool at the MCD Community Centre in northwest Delhi’s Pitampura on Friday has again raised serious questions about safety lapses at public pools. The family alleged there was no lifeguard on duty and that rescue efforts were delayed. Swimming experts called for regular audits of civic pools, strict staffing rules and tougher checks during annual licence renewals.Taksh’s aunt, Kanchan said, “The doctors told us that our child appeared to be underwater for several minutes before anyone tried to pull him out. Since there’s no CCTV covering the pool area, we have no way of knowing exactly what happened.”She said that as far as the family knew, there was no lifeguard present when the boy drowned. She claimed that due to overcrowding not every child got proper attention. “We were never worried because Taksh was a good swimmer and had been swimming for a while. But now we’re left with so many questions,” the aunt said.According to an official at the Sports Authority of India, “For a swimming pool to operate in Delhi, the minimum requirements include having at least two lifeguards and one swimming coach for a 25-metre pool and four lifeguards and two swimming coaches for a 50-metre pool. Clearance is granted or renewed only after these requirements are met and a thorough inspection is conducted.”Commenting on the incident, an official said, “Overcrowding makes it nearly impossible for lifeguards to monitor everyone. Private operators often charge by the hour, so packing in more swimmers benefits them financially, but it puts safety in the back seat.”To get a licence to operate a swimming pool in Delhi, applicants must obtain no-objections certificates from the local police, traffic police and the urban local bodies, along with a health/trade licence. A character verification and a recommendation from a Sports Authority of India coach are also required.“There’s a need for proper inspections and random checks not just during licensing, but throughout the year to ensure lifeguards are actually present during pool hours,” said Meenakshi Pahuja, an international swimmer and associate professor at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. “After years of teaching swimming, I decided to compile a directory of all swimming pools in Delhi. It can be accessed at VK Pahuja Swimming Statistical Bulletin online. We’re constantly updating it to make sure no pool is left out, and that licensed pools with regular checks are clearly listed. Parents should know exactly where they’re sending their child.”Another expert stressed the importance of clear visibility of at least 15 metres for lifeguards around swimming pools, stating that no part of the pool should have blind spots for the lifeguards. If additional coverage was needed, more lifeguards needed to be stationed to ensure every section is monitored without obstruction. He also reiterated that overcrowding could make it harder for lifeguards to monitor swimmers effectively, increasing the risk of accidents and delaying response time in emergencies.Delhi Police has registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s Section 106 (death due to negligence) in the death of Taksh and investigation is under way to establish the sequence of events as well as lapses leading up to the boy’s death.At the time of filing this story, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi hadn’t responded to queries.