It’s a tragedy waiting to happen

KOCHI: If adequate steps are not taken without delay, chances are high that the city might witness a major tragedy similar to the Thekkady Boat mishap (in which 35 persons lost their lives when a boat capsized in Periyar lake on September 30, 2009).
The Ernakulam Boat Jetty has become so congested that the Kerala Water Transport Authority (KWTA) fears collision of boats which could be disastrous.In the event of such an accident, the death toll would be very high due to strong undercurrents in the area, said a senior official of the KWTA. The official who preferred not to be named told TOI that the boat jetty was too crammed at the moment to serve both the KWTA services and private boats.
“The boats that KWTA operates are big, which are as long as 21m and are made of metal, while most of the the private boats are usually around eight meter long, and are made of fibre and wood. Many of these boats have not undergone any water buoyancy tests. In case of a collision the smaller boat would bear the brunt and capsize or sink,” the official said. Considering the number of foreign tourists using private boats, and absence of necessary safety gears on board, an accident would affect the tourism prospects of the state also.
According to KWTA sources, the existing boat jetty was built after demolishing the old one in 1994. The central tourism department, which funded the construction, after land was reclaimed from Vembanad Lake, allowed private parties to start tourist boat services from here. Over the years the private services increased congesting the boat jetty, sources pointed out.
KR Vinod, Chief Surveyor of Boats, Kerala Ports, agreed that many private parties are operating boats that were built without any safety regulations.