In yet another stand-off between the administration and the coracle operators, the latter have gone into an indefinite strike over the latest order of the administration.
The strike comes in the wake of the district administration’s new order of allowing only 30 coracles at any given time for ferrying tourists. However, coracle operators have taken objection to this stating that it ate into their income.
Kempuraj, president, Hogenakkal Coracle Operators Association, says, “This new rule would mean over 170 coracles will have to wait for one-and-a-half-hour till the first batch of 30 coracles return.”
There are 416 coracles in Hogenakkal, and a batch of 200 coracles take turns to operate on a turn of two days. According to coracle operators, coracles depend on the weekend tourist traffic for income. “The entire week’s livelihood depends on the income made during the weekend. On weekends, over 1,200 tourists wait for chance at coracle ride.” The new rule would take the fun out of coracle rides for tourists who would have to wait for long, says Kempuraj.
The coracle operators have been on a stand-off with the administration over the ban on children under 10 years of age on coracle rides for the last 10 months. Coracle operators have being fighting this on the premise that adults refuse to go on coracle rides leaving their children behind.
