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I was most distressed to read about a major boat tragedy in the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh on September 15.

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Pushpa Girimaji

I was most distressed to read about a major boat tragedy in the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh on September 15. Today, a number of tourist destinations offer boating for pleasure and my question is should we or should we not go on such rides? If we do go on them, what kind of precautions should we take?

I would suggest that before you go on a holiday where you come across lakes or rivers and boating for pleasure or to reach a tourist destination, do a thorough research on the safety of the water body and the boating services. Have there been any accidents involving the boat service before. If so, what were the reasons for it? Did the state government/local administration take adequate measures to prevent recurrence of such accidents?

Once at the spot, you also need to check out the safety of the boat rides. The first point is about the water body itself. Is it a small lake or a big river? What is its depth? I would suggest that you avoid boating on big rivers during the monsoon season because the rivers are full during that period and the risk could be higher.

You must also check if there are any warning boards prohibiting boating in the area. If so, desist from taking the boat, however tempting the offer. 

The next thing is to look at the quality of boats. Do they look fit enough to carry you safely? What is the year of manufacture? What is the capacity of the boat? Is the driver qualified to drive the boat? Is the boat certified by the authority concerned? Does the boat have a licence to run? These are issues of utmost importance. And, when consumers start asking questions, the boat owners also become more careful. You also need to check the number of passengers (or the weight) that the boat can carry. A lot of accidents have happened because of overloading of the boat. It is crucial to ensure that the boatman does not carry more than the permitted number.

It is equally important to see whether the service provider is giving life jackets to every passenger. I would suggest that you do not take boats that do not provide this facility. Even here, the quality of the jacket is extremely important. I find that many of them do not have fasteners that work and there are missing buckles, thereby rendering the life vests useless. If they are to serve the purpose for which they are used, they need to be regularly checked for degradation in quality, tears, cuts, etc. and those that are not up to the mark or are well past their life span should be discarded. They also need to be stored properly — strong sunlight can affect their quality, but I often find them dumped in the sun.

Another extremely important factor is the size of the life jacket. You must choose one that fits you comfortably and snugly. If it is too loose, it will not save you as it will float away from you. Similarly, it should not be too tight. And they must be buckled and strapped properly so that they do not come apart. Unfortunately, consumers are not aware of these factors and the service providers do not help the tourists choose the right size of the jacket and wear them properly. This is a major lacuna and the passengers become victims.

Were the passengers of the ill-fated boat, Royal Vasishta, not wearing life jackets?

This information will come out after the inquiry ordered by the state government is completed. However, videos of the passengers taken prior to the accident and those on YouTube show that none of them in the picture is wearing a life jacket, a major safety violation. Some media reports, however, said the passengers preferred to not wear them or took them off because of the hot and humid weather and those who did wear them, survived. Investigations into the tragedy will reveal the facts, but even if the owner of the boat had provided life jackets to all, he has to take responsibility for not insisting on the passengers wearing them. Following incessant rains, the river was in spate and all state-run boats had been stopped from plying on the river. So how come a private boat operated? Eventually, the passengers paid the price for the boatman’s greed and the administration’s laxity. Out of about 76 passengers, only 26 survived!

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