The fame of Alappuzha as a hub of houseboat operations is often marred by unseemly incidents in the sector. Several cases of fire aboard and drowning of tourists have attained attention in recent times. A few cases of death including that of a baby occurred while a few boats caught fire and another sank in Vembanad lake.
Though such cases cause concern, the reality is that the mishaps are only very few considering the number of houseboats and the frequency of operations in the lake, says T.G.Reghu, a houseboat-owner and Chairman of Alappuzha Tourism Development Cooperative Society Limited. “About 1,000 houseboats are plying in Vembanad lake. There is not enough space for such a large number of boats to move about in the lake. At certain locations, the rush is often more than that of motor vehicles on national highways. It accounts for the accidents, ” he told The Hindu .
Negligence
Negligence of the operational staff had led to fire accidents in the past. A boat caught fire recently due to careless work of a cook in the kitchen. A mobile fire and rescue service would be advantageous to the sector, he said pointing out that the boats carry LPG cylinders for the purpose of cooking, apart from diesel to be used in the engines.
The houseboat operators have taken keen interest in maintaining safety aboard the boats, but they are unable to restrain tourists. Liquor is banned on board, but the operators have no right to check the luggage. The tourism police could make interventions without affecting the tour plans, but strict enforcement could be counterproductive to the sector’s prospects, according to him.
A senior police officer said the strength of tourism police was inadequate. Eleven policemen were entrusted with the task of taking care of about1,800 houseboats, of which about 500 were having due registrations. “We have to perform night duty at two outposts, apart from monitoring the boats and offering services to VIP guests. A speedboat has been provided, but there is no driver. Three boats were destroyed in fire last year, but we could not do much in the absence of facility to extinguish fire”, he said.
Menace of middlemen
The menace of middlemen was affecting the sector adversely, the police officer said. “Middlemen have spread their tentacles even to highways between Haripad and Aroor where vehicles carrying tourists from other places are followed by their personnel, with a view to offering exploitative deals on houseboat tourism,” he said.
