Kendrapara: At many places in this district criss-crossed by rivers, people depend on boats. But, most of the boats are overcrowded although they operate under the very nose of the administration.
If the district administration and the inland water transport authority do not take action there is every possibility of a boat tragedy here like the one that happened at Nipania two days ago.
Although the government had directed the district administration to ensure that boats are not overloaded the order is not being enforced as seen at the Kharanasi-Bathighar ferry ghat Friday. Here people were seen travelling without lifejackets, although the government had made it mandatory.
After the Hirakud boat tragedy, a high-level meeting was held in 2014 under the CM’s chairmanship. At the meeting, Collectors were given powers under Section 2(b) of the Orissa Boat Rules, 2004, by the government to appoint engineers as surveyors for licensing boats and boatmen.
The government had directed that the renewal and licensing of registered boats has to be carried out by the surveyor appointed by the Collector. While registering a new boat the district administration has to inform the registering authority of the commerce and transport department after the survey certificate is issued by the surveyor. This rule has to be enforced by officials designated by the Collector.
After the government’s direction, the district administration had constituted a committee to crosscheck license validity, authorised capacity of the boats and the load it carries while operating in rivers.
Later, the administration directed the owners of ordinary boats, motor boats and launches to register their vessels and to obtain a license for operating in rivers and to keep lifejackets, lifebuoys and fire extinguishers in their boats. But these directions remain on paper due to the slipshod attitude of the administration.
A senior official, on condition of anonymity, said complaints about overloading of boats had come to the administration several times. Although directions were given many times boat operators have been violating them, he added.
Had the boat that could carry a maximum of 15 people not been overloaded and if it had life saving equipment then the Nipania mishap would never have occurred, said Kendrapara assistant fire officer Birabhadra Tudu.
The boat that overturned two days back was a fishing boat, but it was not registered with ADF (Marine) department, Kujanga, said Manas Ranjan Rout, ADF (Marine) Kujanga.
The boat owner and the passengers had not taken permission from the forest department to visit Hukitola. If they had applied for permission the forest department would not have allowed the overloaded boat, said ACF Bijay Kumar Parida.
As the tourist season is on, one can find unsafe boats carrying visitors at Bhitarkanika, Hukitola and other places.
Although the forest department had made it mandatory for boat operators to provide lifejackets to tourists and carry lifebuoys, the safety norms are flagrantly violated.
PNN
