Sunday’s tourist boat tragedy at Tanur has given rise to renewed calls on the need for reining in houseboats and other tourist vessels flouting norms in Alappuzha, a major backwater destination.
Despite various measures, illegal boat operations continue to thrive in the district in the absence of proper government monitoring and control.
Five lives lost
Several accidents involving houseboats, the mascot of Kerala Tourism, have been reported in the past 12 months. At least five lives were lost in Alappuzha during the period following the sinking of boats or tourists accidentally falling overboard. Besides, fire and other safety incidents have been reported. Most of the houseboats involved were later found to have been operating flouting norms, without mandatory licences, registration, insurance and pollution certificates, and employing unlicensed crew.
“The vessel that capsized at Tanur was not a houseboat. That said, there are houseboats that operate flouting rules. In Alappuzha, big vessels with nine and 10 bedrooms often conduct pleasure trips with 200 to 300 people onboard in clear violation of norms. Many of them are not even licensed to operate. Houseboats registered in other districts also operate in the Alappuzha waters violating rules,” says Kevin Rozario, general secretary, All Kerala Houseboat Owners and Operators’ Samiti, alleging that illegal operations are conducted in collusion with authorities.
Enforcement drive
Though the Kerala Maritime Board (KMB), the licensing authority, and tourism police are conducting drives, their actions have failed to check illegal operations largely due to the sheer number of boats along with the acute shortage of manpower and resources. According to the KMB, there are 1,621 mechanically propelled boats, including houseboats, motorboats, shikhara boats, speedboats, and ferry boats registered with the Alappuzha Port Registry, covering Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.
Only 821 registered boats
It has been estimated that the total number of houseboats in the backwaters of Alappuzha stands above 1,000 while only 821 boats are registered with the registry. In the case of registered houseboats, several have not renewed their registration or undergone mandatory resurvey but continue to operate. The government though imposed a ban on the construction of new houseboats in Alappuzha after December 31, 2013, it made little effect.
Officials of the KMB say that dire staff shortage is preventing them from enforcing legal and safety compliance in the sector. Though it is mandatory under the Kerala Inland Vessels Rules to establish an enforcement wing under a Deputy Superintendent (Dy.SP) for periodical inspection of the operation of houseboats, it has not come to fruition yet.
Houseboat operators have demanded the deployment of mobile units of Fire and Rescue Services, the publication of a list of safe boats, and the reopening of the sewage waste treatment plant at H block.
