Aymanam boat accident exposes safety concerns in Kuttanad's in-land water routes

Alappuzha: The mid-water collision between a country boat and a service boat at Kareemadom in Aymanam, which claimed the life of a 13-year-old girl, has cast a shadow over the risks associated with the in-land water ferry services in Kuttanad.

The backwater landscape, crisscrossed by a labyrinth of water bodies, remains well connected with service boats run by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD). However, many households own country boats fitted with fishing boat engines and use the same to reach the nearby mainlands. 

While operating services to the interior locations here, the boat operators, however, remain wary of the country boats recklessly entering the boat channels from interior canals, without abiding by traffic rules as in the land.

According to a senior SWTD official, the accident at Kumarakom was the result of an abrupt entry by the small boat into the boat channel.

 “It was a sharp curve there...The small boat, fitted with an engine, sped onto our way. This has become a huge issue in the entire Kuttanad region as several households here own such motorized country boats,” he said.

Taking serious note of the issue, the department will soon be submitting a memorandum to the State Government demanding to regulate the movement of country boats along the in-land boat channels.

“That these boats do not possess a reverse gear adds to the concern. Nor do they ensure that the channel is clear of traffic before entering it. Action at the government level will only ensure that they adhere to the traffic rules,” the official added.

The locals, on the other hand, have been accusing these passenger boats of over-speeding through the interior channels, posing a serious safety risk to country boats. The SWTD, however, has sought to dismiss the allegation, pointing out that the service boat had just resumed its journey after a stop-over.

 “There was a jetty just before the curve. The boat had only resumed its journey after a brief stop-over at this point when the mishap happened,” explained the official.

Meanwhile, Kottayam District Collector V Vigneswari ordered a probe into the boat accident at Aymanam. The order, issued under section 30 of the State Disaster Management Act, has entrusted the Kottayam RDO to conduct a preliminary probe into the episode. The SWTD director, meanwhile, will be required to carry out a detailed investigation and submit the report within seven days.

Anashwara, a class 7 student at Vechoor, drowned in the Pennar River near Kareemadom when the country boat she had been travelling was rammed by a passenger boat around 8.30 am. Though her eight-year-old sister and mother fell into the water, the locals could rescue them immediately. The body of Anashwara was fished out from a spot near the accident site a few hours later.