Presence of one trained guide would have averted Thekkady boat tragedy

By O.J.George

Kottayam: The boat tragedy in Thekkady in which 36 deaths have been confirmed and increased toll suspected is, no doubt, man-made.

The tragedy could have been averted if sensible measures were taken.First of all, someone should have told the tourists that they should not collect together on one side of the boat on seeing wildlife on the banks of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Then, the question is: Who should tell the tourists who have come from various states speaking different languages and even foreigners? There was only the boat driver and a so-called aide.Apparently, there was no training for them, even as the loquacious KTDC chairman Cherian Philip can speak about political ideology and other topics.

Incidentally, it was Jalakanyaka, a boat belonging to KTDC (Kerala Tourism Development Corporation) which overturned and caused the deaths.The tourists belonged to Delhi, Punjab, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra etc.

And there are reports that foreigners could also be among the victims.One can immediately say there were no life jackets, but latest reports suggest the life jackets were kept packed in some corner of the boat.There was no means for the victims in the capsized boat to catch hold of the same.

Actually, what should be done was life jackets should be provided to each passenger on boarding the boat.In the present case, for those passengers trapped in the lower portion of the boat and under water, such devices might not be of much help, for they had no opening to move out.The lower deck had glass covered windows. And as the boat turned turtle, they were deep within the waters with no means to move out.

The same was the case with the Thattekkat boat tragedy. When the boat overturned, the children were trapped in the inside portion which had no leeway for them to move out.When the windows of the boat are completely covered, there should be at least an emergency door.The most crucial aspect is the need for a trained guide on each tourist boat who should give directions to the tourists about their conduct while being in the deep reservoir.