Amit Halder
Port Blair, Apt 12: “If you want a genuine IRS approved Life Jacket, Andaman Island is the best place to buy it”. Says an experienced Resort owner and a practicing doctor from Cochin while on a visit to Andamans as a part of team of 35 doctors.
On Saturday the 9th April, 2016, a tourist from Cochin visited us and wished to buy some IRS approved Life Jackets. We learnt from him that in Cochin most of the Life Jackets are not approved by IRS and are mostly of Chinese origin. The doctor told us that he was told by a friend/dealer in Cochin that genuine products are available only in Andamans and since he was about to visit, it will be better to procure there!!!!
Readers will remember that tragic boat accident on republic day eve of 2014, after which the Administration ordered strict implementation of safety norms in boats carrying tourist and others. Last two years of strict to stricter enforcement by the authorities has resulted in market being rid of spurious life saving equipments.
Thanks to the timely directions and guidance by the Lt. Governor, the reputation of Andamans as a place of safe boat journey is established. The reputation has spread far and wide, particularly, to the places from where tourists visit us.
Samir Acharya, of Tarang Trades at Middle Point said that their Principals are introducing bar coding of each and every jacket so that the origin of the jacket, its date of manufacture and batch number can be readily traced.
There must be no compromising the safety rules. In no circumstances can and shall be the safety of human life be compromised.
