A tragedy foretold: on the boat accident in Kerala and lapses

Context:

Recently, a boat that sank in the Poorapuzha estuary in Tanur municipality killing 22 people, 15 of them children, was packed with local tourists to twice its capacity and was not cleared for post-dusk operations.

New Inland Vessels Act 2021:

• Mandates expert scrutiny of vessels for quality and safety standards.
  • Ensures that boats meet required checkpoints before they hit the waters. 
• Prohibits operating an inland vessel without proper registration and safety equipment.
  • Mandatory certificates for survey and registration must be acquired and followed under the law. 
• Grants state governments the power to remove or detain overloaded or unregistered boats.
  • Violators will face heavy fines and imprisonment upto three years.

Knowing Your Rights as a Consumer:

• Always check the registration number and validity of the boat.
  • Do some research beforehand to ensure that all safety measures are in place and valid. 

• Choose a life jacket that fits you and secure it properly.
  • Have a life jacket that fits snugly so it doesn’t slip off in case of an accident. 

• Avoid overloading the boat.
  • Respect the maximum capacity of the boat and never board a boat filled beyond its declared capacity. 

Why Do Safety Measures Fall Short? 

• Non-Adherence to Safety Norms:
  • Service providers blatantly violate boat safety norms, while administrations fail to ensure consumer safety.

• Inefficient Monitoring: 
  • Implementing agencies often fail consumers as boats are not strictly monitored for overloading or any other violation through CCTV cameras. 

• Lack of Awareness among Consumers:
  • People continue to board ferries without checking all the necessary safety measures and rules beforehand. 

Reliance on Technology for Better Monitoring: 

• Implementing CCTV cameras in tourist boats for better monitoring would also aid in avoiding overloading and any other violation.
• Ferries can be equipped with alarms that go off when they are overloaded, alerting the crew as well as passengers. 
• Provide helpline numbers on boats for good consumer feedback for the authorities to better monitor the quality of the boats.

Implementation of the New Act:

New Features:

1. Uniformity of laws and regulations across the country.
2. Mandatory provisions to improve the quality and safety of inland water transportation. 
3. Provision to detain or forfeit any mechanically powered vessel carrying more than the permitted number of passengers.

Existing Rules Under Old Act:

• The Kerala IV Rules, 2000, are framed under the old Inland Vessels Act, 1917.
• Mandates the use of safety equipment, third-party insurance, and passenger amenities.
• Bars the use of any mechanically propelled inland vessel without a Certificate of Survey and a Certificate of Registration.

Conclusion:  

• Always check the number of passengers a ferry can carry and its registration certificate.
• Buckle up, wear your life jacket and heed the rules. 
• Better monitoring and administration of safety measures. 
• Highlighting the importance of awareness and stringent action against violators, implementing better technology, and ensuring the administration positive actions and follows.

News Source: The Hindu