Vikram Adtiaya
Port Blair, Sept 09: When the horrendous boat tragedy of Jan 26, 2014 claimed 22 tourists after the boat capsized near Chatham, questions were raised on the strict adherence of security aspects by operators.
The local Administration earned flak from local, national and the international media that held the administration responsible for the disaster.
The administration responded swiftly and a series of measures were initiated to ensure safety of tourists as also local passengers. Safety audit of all vessels were ordered and operators were directed to strictly equip their vessels with mandatory safety gears. Sadly, the diktat remains confined to vessels operating in and around South Andaman.
An enquiry by Andaman Sheekha revealed that many wooden dinghies, used to ferry passengers from Ships to remote Isalsnds, in the Nicobar group of islands, ply without with adequate number of lifejackets.
In regions like Teressa, Katchal etc hundreds of ship passengers avail the services of small dinghies to reach remote locations.
While, two ladies fell into the sea about a month ago at Katchal, hundreds other remain susceptible to mishaps while commuting in boats without life jackets and other safety equipments.
“The situation is quite alarming in the Nicobar group of islands. Hundreds of small boats transport people, materials etc to remote islands. But the safety measures are not adhered to strictly. Boats operate without life jackets. Safety at sea continues to remain comprised in the region,” said a boat operator privy to the situation in Nicobar region.
Operators in Nicobar Region should be strictly instructed to equip their wooden dinghies with adequate safety equipments to prevent any major mishap in future. Surprise inspections should be done to verify if all boats are fully equipped with the required number of lifejackets. Safety at sea must be ensured for commuters in every part of these islands.
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