HBA Foundation to Launch National Campaign on UN’s World Drowning Prevention

Turning Tragedy into a Life-Saving Mission

In a deeply moving tribute born out of unimaginable personal loss, the Hemant Bala Advaitha (HBA) Foundation will launch a nationwide Drowning Prevention Awareness Campaign on 25th July 2025, the day officially recognised by the United Nations as World Drowning Prevention Day.

This campaign is inspired by the memory of Advaitha Verma, a gifted 18-year-old music prodigy and Symbiosis student, who tragically drowned in Pawna Lake, Lonavala on 23rd June 2024. Advaitha's untimely death became the turning point for his parents-Sudesh Verma and Renu Kaul Verma-who chose to transform their grief into a lifelong mission to educate, prevent, and spread awareness about drowning prevention and save lives.

Pawna Lake and other picturesque lakes in Lonavala may look serene-but beneath the calm surface lies a deadly risk that has claimed far too many young lives. One such soul was Advaitha. The heartbreaking incident was widely covered in the media and shook the conscience of many.

Now, one year later, Advaitha's parents have chosen to rise from grief with purpose. Determined to turn their unbearable personal loss into a movement that saves lives, they are launching a nationwide Drowning Prevention Awareness Campaign on 25 July 2025-a day officially recognised by the United Nations as World Drowning Prevention Day.

Their message is clear: No family should suffer this pain again. Drowning is preventable. Awareness can save lives. Through this campaign, they aim to warn, educate, and inspire a national awakening around water safety-so that no more dreams are lost to silent waters.

"With every drowning, our society must rise like a symphony-not in silence, but in solidarity," says Sudesh Verma. "Each life saved will be a tribute to Advaitha-and to thousands like him whose dreams were silenced by preventable tragedies," says Renu Kaul Verma.

With 38,000 drowning deaths every year in India, this silent epidemic needs urgent national attention. The HBA Foundation's campaign will focus on raising awareness, promoting water safety, and empowering youth and families through preventive education.

Each year, drowning claims more than 300,000 lives globally, with over 90% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies it as the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths worldwide.

India, sadly, is among the worst affected. The most vulnerable are children aged 5 to 14. In some rural regions, like the Sundarbans in West Bengal, the statistics are grim: A 2020 survey reported three children under 9 drowning every day. The local drowning mortality rate for toddlers is over 240 per 100,000, the highest ever recorded globally. What's worse, these numbers are likely underreported. Many deaths in rural and remote areas go unnoticed, unrecorded and never investigated.
The HBA has decided to use Advaitha's passion for music and singing to mobilise youths and create awareness on drowning prevention. It has announced the Advaitha- A Symphony Music Award 2025 to be given in September 2025.

🎶 Advaitha - A Symphony Music Award 2025

A National Singing Competition with a Cause

To connect with young hearts and voices, the Foundation is launching a unique initiative-Advaitha - The Symphony Music Award 2025, a national singing contest that combines passion with purpose. The campaign uses music as a medium to spread awareness and inspire action on drowning prevention.

🗓️ Event Details:

• Finale: September 2025 ( exact date to be announced later in website)
• Venue: In Delhi (exact venue to be announced later)
• Entry Deadline: 15th August 2025
• Format: MP4 video submission
• Eligibility: Indian teen vocalists aged 15-19
• Special Note: Members of Encore Symbiosis falling in the eligible age category are especially invited in honour of Advaitha's connection to the institution.

A jury of eminent musicians and educators will shortlist 10 finalists, with the Top 3 performers receiving:

🏆 Trophies | 📜 Certificates | 💰 Cash Prizes

The HBA Foundation invites schools, colleges, music academies, and youth organisations across Delhi-NCR to participate in this noble movement and amplify the message through song. As a special mark of respect to Symbiosis, the competition is open to members of Encore Symbiosis if the contestants fall in the age category.

"This is more than a competition-it's a call to save lives," says Renu Kaul Verma. Let Advaitha's voice echo through every participant, and let music become our collective message of prevention and hope," she added.

We urge all media platforms, influencers, educators, and civil society groups to give this campaign widespread visibility, so no family has to face what we did-alone, and unprepared.

To register, learn more, or support the campaign, please visit:

🌐 www.advaithasymphony.com

Issued by:

The Hemant Bala Advaitha (HBA) Foundation

📧 Website: www.advaithasymphony.com

[email protected], [email protected]