Police inspect tourist boats in Puducherry

The police in Puducherry have launched an inspection of boating facilities in the coastal areas following the death of a woman after a fishing vessel used to ferry tourists capsized near the Ariankuppam River mouth three days ago. 

Inspection was conducted after complaints surfaced about violations by private boat operators. The vessel that met with the fatal accident on Friday was operated without permit and the driver did not have a licence to ferry tourists. There was clear negligence on the part of driver, said Inspector of Police, Coastal Police, S. Diagaradjane.

The owner of the boat Sathish Kumar and the driver Thangamani have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Inspection was carried out on the orders of the District Collector to check whether boat operators follow rules and safety guidelines, he said.

It was learnt that the police have flagged concerns with the Tourism Department about the functioning of private boat operators. The police want licensing norms to be made stricter, including verification of the antecedents of boat drivers.  Boat owners and drivers should compulsorily obtain the antecedents certificate along with a no objection certificate from the local police station before obtaining permission from the department, police said.

The police have written to the department to discourage use of fishing boats to ferry tourists. “Alterations are made in fishing boats for sea cruise. It is unsafe to operate fishing vessels for tourism purpose,” police said. 

Requesting the department to bring regulations, the police said boating service should be allowed only up to 5. 30 p.m and allowed in shallow areas as notified by a competent authority. The boat drivers and supporting crew should undergo mandatory safety training, swimming proficiency, and emergency response training certified by an authorised institution, police said. 

“Around 200 tourist boat permits have been issued leading to congestion, safety concerns, and regulatory challenges in coastal and river areas. Unrestricted issuance of additional licence could aggravate the situation,” police said. 

The police have also taken up the issue of encroachment of estuarine areas, particularly ecologically sensitive mangroves for anchoring and repair of tourist boats without permission, with the Forest Department.