Amidst recurring incidents involving houseboats, recommendations made by a committee, headed by the then Tourism Secretary Suman Billa that looked into houseboat safety following the January 2013 tragedy that resulted in the death of four tourists at the Punnamada finishing point, continue to remain in cold storage.
Among the recommendations were the constitution of an authority with more powers, setting up a special police station at Punnamada, and measures to deal with fire incidents aboard the boat.
According to houseboat operators, steps should be taken to set up at least three mobile units of Fire and Rescue Services Department one each at Alappuzha terminal, Pallathuruthy, and Kumarakom. “It is a long-pending demand to set up mobile units. But, the government is yet to heed our calls. The government should also provide training to crew members in emergency response and evacuation,” said a houseboat operator.
Although, the Tourism Department has installed Global Positioning System (GPS) in registered houseboats, a large number of boats without registration continue to ply without installing GPS and other safety measures.
The move to publish details of authorised houseboats on the website of the District Tourism Promotion Council remains inconclusive.
