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Participants of the Campaign Swim Safe met the Rustavi City Mayor after the action

July 19, 2019
 
On July 19, the participatory organizations of the campaign Swim Safe will hold next protest action in the Rustavi Park of Culture and Rest, where short time ago an adult drowned. 

After the action, they met the Rustavi Municipality Mayor Irakli Tabagua and his deputy Besik Togonidze. 

The leaders of the Rustaiv municipality city hall heard the main requests of the Campaign participants: 

- To strengthen the protection of safety of citizens on the water body in the Rustavi Park of Culture and Rest;
- The Rustavi City Hall shall study the qualification of the rescue team members appointed on the water body and consider their replacement with the rescue team members of the Emergency Management Agency;
- It is necessary to study the causes of tragic accidents and pay attention to the risk factors and those essential circumstances of accidents that are left beyond the attention of the investigative bodies when investigating the accidents formally for bringing a person to the point of suicide.

Rustavi Municipality Mayor Irakli Tabagua stated that the city hall will study all issues raised by the Campaign. He said, besides the rescue team, the officers of the defense service also patrols on the water body and effectiveness of their work will increase. In order to protect safety of the citizens, they will install surveillance camera in the territory of the park, also around the lake. The city hall will consider appointment of the rescue team members of the emergency management agency. 

During the meeting, the parties discussed the initiative to introduce swimming lessons in the kindergartens and primary schools of Rustavi municipality. There are two swimming pools in Rustavi, where parents pay for swimming lessons. In future it is important to make the swimming lessons accessible for the most families. According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization, the best preventive measure to eliminate mortality on water bodies is to teach swimming to children at an early age.
 
The water body in the Rustavi Park of Culture and Rest – little artificial lake, is one of the most problematic places where adults have drowned in the past few years. After the 2016 accident, the Rustavi City Hall appointed rescue team on the lake. The administration also surrounded the place, where swimming is permitted. Warning banners are installed in the rest of the area, where swimming is not permitted. Nevertheless, a month ago, 11-years-old boy drowned in the lake. The accident happened in the area where the swimming is allowed and accordingly rescue team was to be there.

Campaign Swim Safe was launched on July 16, 2018 with the initiative of Ana Dolidze, Human Rights Center, CENN and Progress Center. The Campaign aims to increase responsibility of the Government and raise public awareness. 

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