The untold tragedy of three IAS aspirants who drowned to death in the basement of their coaching centre in New Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, is a macabre reminder that anyone can drown, anywhere. Ironically, this grim but entirely preventable incident, which occurred due to callous negligence and lax regulations, took place two days after countries observed Drowning Prevention Day — a WHO led global event, held annually to raise awareness about this leading cause of death. Rising seas, maximum cities, spiralling poverty and risky livelihoods, 120 million forcibly displaced people, children who make perilous journeys to reach schools – all these conditions are colliding to make death by drowning a haunting and increasingly frequent occurrence.