Despite several fatal boat accidents in Kerala over the past 100 years and three commission reports recommending preventive measures, a lack of government intervention led to the boating tragedy here that claimed 22 lives, the opposition Congress and BJP have alleged. protested on Monday.
According to survivors and those who narrowly avoided boarding the doomed boat, the tour boat operator’s “last trip” gimmick caused the ship to be overcrowded and cause the boat to tip over before towing away. Ignoring the warnings all contributed to the disaster.
Statements from survivors, bystanders and local residents in the area suggest that the vessel was a fishing boat that had been converted into a recreational vessel, not licensed to offer boating services, It lacked adequate safety equipment such as life jackets. The same were not provided to the passengers and it was filled beyond capacity, checking all the boxes of “don’ts” that the panel had outlined.
Poorly designed vessels, poor maintenance, absence of navigational aids, overloading and negligent conduct of the crew were some of the reasons for such accidents in the past by commissions of inquiry set up in 2002, 2007 and 2009. several decades.
In 2002, after the Kumarakom boat tragedy, in which 29 people lost their lives, Justice K Narayan Kurup’s Commission of Inquiry (CoI) found that the poor condition of the boat, poor maintenance, overloading and negligent conduct of the crew were responsible for the accident. Were.
In 2007, after the Thattekad boat accident in which 14 students and three teachers lost their lives – who were part of a school picnic trip – Justice MM Parida Pillai COI had found that overloading and untimely hours of the ride were the reasons for the tragedy .
In 2009, E Mathinkunju COI found that overloading, inexperienced crew and lack of stability of the boat were the reasons for the Thekkady boating accident, in which a double-decker boat of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) capsized at Thekkady, killing 45 tourists. Had gone Lake.
The 2013 National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report also states that the state government has not heeded any of the recommendations of these committees.
The NHRC report titled ‘Boating accident in Kerala’s inland waters’ came in the wake of a boating accident on January 26, 2013, which according to it “could have been avoided if the recommendations of the COI had been followed”.
CoI’s recommendations include evenly distributing passengers inside the boat, not overcrowding, using properly designed boats, wearing safety jackets, providing safety instructions to passengers, and setting up rescue coordination centers in important tourist destinations .
Violation of all these recommendations contributed to the Tanur boat accident on Sunday evening, according to locals in the area, survivors of the tragedy and the opposition Congress and BJP.
The Kerala government on Monday announced a judicial inquiry into the matter and decided to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and senior Congress leader VD Satheesan, who visited the accident site and the homes of those killed in the tragedy, termed it a “man-made disaster”.
He alleged that despite the Thekkady and Thattekkad boating tragedies, there was no mechanism in place to prevent recurrence of such incidents and that although locals complained that the boat service was illegal and unlicensed, the authorities did nothing to stop it. Did.
In a statement, Satheesan claimed that the situation in the state is such where everyone thinks they can do anything and get away.
He urged the government to scrutinize licenses, ensure compliance with regulations and safeguards, and probe why authorities turned a blind eye to the allegedly illegal service.
The Congress leader also asked the government to set a deadline within which the judicial inquiry announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would be completed without giving any extension in the term of the commission.
BJP state president K Surendran echoed similar sentiments and also demanded the resignation of Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas, according to a statement issued by his party.
Surendran alleged that the tragedy occurred due to the negligence and lack of intervention of the state government despite several instances of violation of boat service rules in Kerala.
The BJP leader said that if Riyas had any ‘shame’, he should resign from the post of tourism minister as his department should know how such a boat is operating in a place which is frequented by tourists. Come
The party’s state chief said the tourism department spends crores of rupees on advertising Kerala tourism, but could not create a common system for ships offering boating services.
He alleged that the recurrence of such tragedies was due to the state government not paying heed to the reports about Thekkady and Thattekad boating accidents.
Even according to the police, the vessel was allegedly converted from a fishing boat to a recreational boat, lacked a license to operate, was overcrowded and no life jackets were provided to the passengers. it was done.
District officials said 22 people died in the accident, while eight others were rescued and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The boat, with 37 people on board, capsized near a estuary near Thuvalathiram beach in Tanur area around 7.30 pm on Sunday.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)