DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, Sept 18: Sudden prohibition imposed on operation of tourist boats to the picturesque Ross and Smith Island in Diglipur, North Andaman has left several boat operators in the lurch.
Tourist boats are being operated in Diglipur region since last 10 to 11 years and in many occasions in past the tourism department has introduced rules, making certain courses mandatory to operate the boats, which most of the boat operators have followed. Now a new course has been added for which even though boat operators are ready the trainers are too busy in Havelock and other places. This is worth mentioning here that for every such course boat operators have to pay from their pocket.
Moreover, every year during survey boats don’t operate for nearly one month due to survey formalities.
Sources claim the boat operators possess also requisite permissions and certificates including Power boat certificate, Capsule course for out-board certificate, First Aid and Life saving techniques certificate, Certificate of Survey issued by the Govt. of India, but for outlandish reasons, the Tourism Department has now imposed a bar on operation of the tourist boats since the 11th of September 2016 claiming that the certificates have become invalid and tourist boat operators need to obtain certificates afresh from the new training agency.
“The sudden suspension of tourist boats between Aerial Bay Jetty and Ross and Smith Island is a big setback for both the boat operators and tourists. More than 45,000 tourists visit the Ross and Smith Island every year which has been rated 5 star beach by Travel Giant Trip Advisor. All the boat operators here have all required permission certificates to operate the boats and thousands of rupees have been spend by the boat operators to obtain the certificates. For the boat IRS survey, a tour operator has to pay around Rs 1,20,000 to 1,70,000 and Rs 6,500- 10,000 for OBM courses. In the year 2014, Department of Tourism in association with Yachting Association of India conducted a Power Boat Certificate courses for the boat operators shelling out Rs 10,000/- and another Rs 4000 for renewal every year and declared the boat operators eligible for the boat operations. But the Tourism Department, now says that the certificate have become invalid and boat operators will have to obtain a new certificate from the new training agency,” lamented some boat operators of Aerial Bay.
“Now a new training has been added by Tourism Department and Trainers have come from Goa. Such course was never heard of in the past 6 years and the boat operators have been safety carrying out the tourist services all these years. Moreover, the course is currently being conducted at Havelock and the Tourism Department should grant temporary permission for the boat operators till the course is conducted at Port Blair as boat operators have already booked their guests for this season,” said boat operator of Diglipur.
“It appears that the prohibition has been imposed only on tourist boat operators in bid to snatch their livelihood as the wooden boats of the Forest Department can be easily seen ferrying blessed high profile private guests. Recently, the wooden boat of Forest Department ferried 15 high profile guests including two infants. When tourists approached the Forest Office at Aerial Bay requesting to transport them to Ross and Smith Island in the forest boat, they were denied permission. Moreover, residents of remote islands Shyam Nagar, Ganesh nagar, Shantinagar, Coffee Sera, Nariyal Tikry, 20 family, Elizabeth, Chippoh Islands etc continue to travel in wooden dinghies without an certificates and courses and the unilateral decision to bar operations of tourist boats is depriving hundreds of tourists from visiting the Ross and Smith Island. The District Administration should immediately resume tourist boat operations to Ross and Smith Island and grant temporary permission for the boat operators till they complete the training from the new agency,” they added.
Now the boat operators have threatened that if their demands are not fulfilled they will organise a massive protest at Arial Bay Jetty on Tuesday.
