The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Ferry ride can be a risky journey across Cauvery

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Monday, Oct 26, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Ferry ride can be a risky journey across Cauvery

R. Ilangovan

Boats have no worthiness certificate; boat owners not aware of safety measures

— Photo: E.Lakshmi Narayanan

Exposed to danger: Daily ferry services are being operated in the Cauvery without adhering to any safety norms.

METTUR: Danger lurks under water for hundreds of villagers who routinely commute in mechanised wooden boats and coracles across the Cauvery river between villages situated on both sides of its banks in districts, including Salem and Dharmapuri, through which the river snakes through.

These boats ferrying villagers have neither worthiness certificates from any proper authorities nor carry safety equipment, such as life jackets and life buoys aboard, thus putting the lives of many at great risk.

The respective village panchayats are allowed to issue permits to private boat operators, who ferry passengers on a yearly lease, violating all safety norms. “Unfortunately no government department has the right to interfere,” says a senior PWD official. More or less similar conditions prevail in Erode, Namakkal and Karur districts where villagers living on either side of banks depend on such ferry services.

Villagers from Dharmapuri district, including women and children, prefer boat travel across the 151-sq. km. water spread of the Stanley reservoir to come to Pannavadi in Mettur taluk since the bus route from their villages is circuitous.

It is just 2 km of water spread that separates the villages such as Nagamarai, Neruppur, Eriyur, Ottanur and Yemanur on the other side in Dharmapuri district from Pannavadi village. The travel time is less than 30 minutes, which is nearly 2 hours by road. Hence, they prefer this mode of transport despite knowing the fact that it is dangerous. Many of the villagers work in Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Coimbatore and Bangalore. They come to Pannavadi during week-ends and festival seasons to catch a boat to their villages.

But what disturbs many is that these wooden boats and coracles carry none of the safety equipment, which the government has been insisting on it after the Thekkady boat tragedy. The boat driver also is unaware of any safety measures.

Towing of coracles

To add to it is the towing of badly maintained coracles, now being replaced by fibre class ones. The coracles tied to the boat carry heavy luggage such as bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds and even cattle sometimes. Instead of permitted 20 persons, the caravan of boat and coracles carry nearly 40 to 50 per ride. “We prefer ferry service as it saves not only the time but also money,” said a villager.

Safety measures are found missing in boats that ply between Poolampatti in Salem district and Nerunchipettai in Erode district across River Cauvery. Recently, its passengers had a miraculous escape when the boat capsized, fortunately nearer to the river bank enabling a few to swim to safety and others to be rescued by villagers.

Social activists and general public urge the district administration to study the safety aspects in such boat services across the Cauvery in Salem district with immediate effect.

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