Scorching heat in Adana pushes children into dangerous irrigation channels

In Adana, where air temperatures are running above seasonal norms and approaching 45 degrees, children and young people are turning to highly dangerous irrigation channels to cool off. The high prices of private pools in the city and the lack of accessible free areas put families in a difficult financial situation. Despite many drowning incidents occurring in these unsafe channels every year, the same dangerous picture has continued unchanged for years. Children state that they are forced to throw themselves into the midst of these deadly risks to meet their need to cool down. This situation stands out not only as a summer heat problem but also as a profound issue of local governance and lack of social facilities.

Entrance fees for facilities such as private pools and aquaparks vary between 150 TL and 600 TL, creating an inaccessible cost for children of low-income families. Young people state that because their families cannot afford these amounts, they are forced to choose irrigation channels, which risk their lives, instead of safe and hygienic environments. Economic deprivation is considered one of the biggest factors that condemn children to virtually living face-to-face with death. The absence of public, free, or very low-budget swimming areas in neighborhoods reveals the structural deficiency at the root of the problem. The local people's expectation that authorities should produce urgent solutions to eliminate this social inequality is increasing day by day.

Despite the depth, ice-cold water, and rapid current of the irrigation channels making them unsuitable for swimming, they are seen as the only escape point for children. Older youth swimming in the area are trying to take precautions on their own to prevent younger children from being involved in potential drowning disasters. In fact, these young people summarize the situation strikingly by stating that they use force to keep young children away from the channels so their families won't be upset, acting with the mindset of 'let the children cry, so their families don't have to.' This radical and dangerous method reveals how inadequate official supervision and security measures are. The authorities' failure to establish sufficient barriers or warning systems around the channels continues to be a harbinger of major disasters.

Local people and young people are making intense calls to the municipality and relevant institutions for the construction of accessible social facilities in their neighborhoods. Emphasizing that children are the future of the city, residents argue that creating areas where they can cool off safely should be among the primary duties of local governments. It is stated that if the municipality fails to fulfill its responsibilities in this regard, local governments should be held directly responsible for any accidents or drowning incidents that may occur in the irrigation channels. The chronic lack of social facilities in the city has become a recurring and bleeding wound every summer. The prompt fulfillment of these legitimate demands of the public is an urgent issue that will directly affect the health and safety of future generations.

The irrigation channels, which were the scene of similar tragic incidents in previous years, unfortunately continue to harbor the same deadly risks this summer. This situation, which repeats every summer in Adana, is the biggest proof that permanent and sustainable solutions have never been implemented. Instead of temporary solutions or warning signs, there is a need for facility areas where children can spend the summer months safely and healthily. It is of great importance for local governments to reassess their budget priorities and focus on the real needs of the public. Otherwise, families who cannot afford to send their children to private pools due to economic difficulties will have to live with great anxiety and fear every summer.