Nightmare on Vembanad waters

TRIPUNITHURA: Outdated boats are making their journeys nightmarish. The commuters of Poothotta, Perumbalam and Panavally  are having a tough time.The waterway linking Poothotta with Perumbalam and Panavally links three districts, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha.The manner in which the state water transport department is operating boats in the busy stretch is drawing flak from the public. The boats and the boat jetty are not properly maintained.On Saturday morning the passengers of S-29 boat escaped narrowly when the boat collided with a sand dune near the shore of the Vembanad lake. Though its capacity is 75, more than 200 passengers board the old boat. On Saturday also more than 200 passengers were on board, most of them women and children. When the boat reached the Poothotta jetty, it lost control and began to float. The women and children began to scream.  Meanwhile the boatman managed to control it. Only his presence of mind saved them. All the passengers were shifted to a few country boats.Some said that  boat lost its control as it could not distinguish the track. Besides, the main bolt linking the boat to the steering was  not working properly. The water transport department is apathetic to preliminary rules regarding the placement of track beams and a trouble-free boat jetty. Most of the track beams, used to distinguish the track meant for boat transport, are in a dilapidated state. “In such a situation it is very difficult to control the movement of the boat," said a boat driver.In normal course the track beams should be maintained properly and also fixed with reflectors. Lack of slanting beams in the boat jetty makes it difficult to tie the boat near the jetty. When the boat approaches the shore passengers, including women and children, have to leap to the jetty, which is risky. The Poothotta - Perumbalam - Panavally waterway is considered the most dangerous  among the state's waterways. Thousands of commuters use this stretch which links Perumbalam island to Poothotta, Panavally and other remote islands.It is surprising to learn that the boats operating on this stretch are those rejected as scraps at the Alappuzha boat jetty and their condition worsens during monsoon. “We have to hold an umbrella inside the boat during the rain," said a woman passenger. Moreover the deck is rusted and platform of the dock is pathetic. As for boat servicing, none of them own fitness certificates from the related authorities, according to a commuter.Outdated boats ferrying thousands of people to Perumbalam and Panavally bump on the dilapidated track beams or collide with the sand dunes hidden along the shores of the Vembanad lake.Even after witnessing tragedies in Kumarakom and Thattekadu, the water transport department is yet to take steps to improve the situation. "They will respond to our requests only after a heartbreaking tragedy occurs, said a regular passenger who has no other option but to depend on the deathly boat rides to commute.