DJ Venkatesh
Port Blair, Dec 17: It is a well known fact that most of the villages in Diglipur Sub Division are connected with sea and the main transportation is dinghy for general public. Open sea or creeks are only means to reach remote villages like Paschim Sagar, Jagannath Dera, Ganesh Nagar, Shyam Nagar, Kishori Nagar, Haridas Katai, Ram Nagar etc.
After the Dhani Nallah Accident the Administration has suddenly got up from deep slumber and is now terming use of wooden Dinghies as ‘illegal’ for transportation of public. But experts say that compared to fiber boats, wooden dinghies are always safer, which can accommodate many passengers with a cost of only few hundred rupees per trip. Not only this, vegetables, animals, ration items can also be easily transported in these dinghies.
Even Forest Department, Revenue Department, APWD, Electricity Department are frequently using the services of wooden dinghies for departmental use since decades. The forest department owns such dinghies in many Islands and is also using it.
Recently Diesel Generators installed in 5 remote villages of North Andaman were also transported in these Dinghies, which are called as ‘illegal’ by the administration.
During elections since 1952 the administration is using the services of wooden dinghies to send election machineries and men and materials (which becomes illegal when Administration feels) to remote places, which are not connected by road like Ganesh Nagar, Beach Dera, Shanty Nagar, Sagar Dweep, Naya Katai, Burmachad, Paschim Sagar, Haran Nallah, Talbagan, Jagannth Dera.
Licenses for Fiber boats are issued by DC with the pre certification of IRS (Indian Register of Shipping). But sadly, there is no such provision by the administration to inspect the wooden dinghies by IRS. The wooden dinghies are required to operate by using the license issued by fisheries department.
There are about 536 licensed dinghies and more than one thousand unregistered dinghies in Diglipur alone. When Andaman Sheekha contacted IRS recently, officials of IRS said that the IRS is not having technology to gauge or access the age/life of the wood used in the wooden dinghy.
Licensed Fishing boats are part of parcel of the package where family men of the fishermen also travel for day today activities. Due to lack of road services during emergency like medical utilities, these wooden dinghies play the role of life line.
Even today most of the villages are not connected by road upto the jetty. The villagers are totally dependent on these dinghies for transportation, which are the only options for their survival. Many files related to road approval through forest area languishing since decades in forest offices of Islands and Mainland. There is no justification of the administration that these are illegal. With legal modifications like soften of rules, survey of dinghy by forest authority and with proper security the admin can issue license to carry the passengers.
While issuing the fishing license there is a clause that ‘All classes of fishing vessels shall have prescribed live saving appliances while at sea’.
The registration norms should be amended to suitably for fishermen so they can easily register to carry passengers. Otherwise illegal dinghies will be always here to stay.
As per the experts, instead of promoting the fiber boats the local made log Hull (Dugout) dinghies should be promoted. There is no scarcity of the Log here in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and these dugout dinghies are sea worthy as well as cheap.
A 10 passenger fiber boat costs about 10 lakhs while about 30 passenger dugout wooden dinghy costs upto 4 lacks, for which administration can also provide subsidy. If this is done then Fishermen will be easily carry passengers, without fear, in so called ‘legal’ manner.
DSS is unable to provide boat service to these remote villages and hence Administration must relax norms for these wooden dinghies, so that remote villagers can survive.
The Dhani Nallah Incident has taught us many lessons. Of course over-crowding and taking passengers without safety gears is crime but if Administration takes a step forward, these dinghies can be made totally safe for public and legal for operators.
Leave a Reply