Land of tragedies-The Pioneer

The Bhoothathankettu reservoir boat accident in February 2007, which claimed the lives of 18 school children and three teachers in Kerala, is still fresh in the minds of the people. According to media reports, makeshift boats carried the schoolchildren for sightseeing well past the permitted hours. A similar negligence was the cause of the tragedy at Thekkady Lake in Idukki district of Kerala. A complete disregard for rules was behind the death of 42 tourists at Thekkady Lake. If modern fibre boats are unfit for use on water bodies like this lake, they should have not been allowed for use in the first place. It proves that there is no proper regulatory body for ensuring the safety of tourists. To avoid recurrence of such tragedies in future, boating in all reservoirs in the State should be banned.

K A Solaman
The Pioneer, New Delhi, 3 Oct 2009