Boating in river involves a lot of fun. From weekend riders, boaters, families on picnics to commercial boats, all share it. Sometime, the river ghats are too crowded. Without safety measures in practice, such venture into water could be dangerous.
But often we take the safety measures for granted. As a result, one or the other tragedy occurs. The recent tragedy in the Hirakud dam that took 31 lives, including a few children and elderly persons, is too heartrending.
Nowhere is boating done without life jackets and other safety measures except in south Asian countries. Even in many countries special programmes are conducted to promote river or lake boating in safer environment through various advocacy and tourism promotions. It’s a pity that till date we have not seen any advocacy or promotion from the tourism agencies or by the Government for the boat riders or visitors about safety measures and what they need to do when they enter inside a river or lake system in the State.
Interestingly, Odisha has a Boat Rule which was framed in 2004. The entire document highlights licencing and registration or legal aspects. It misses stringent rule for safety measures. It says there has to be fire extinguisher but does not speak about life jacket or air tubes. In such a situation, every person on a boat must understand how dangerous his or her venturing into water bodies could be!
There is an urgent need that the State must amend its policy focusing more on safety side than just on the commercial aspects of boating. First, country boats designed for fishing by fishermen should be banned for tourism or leisure. Those boats should get replaced with designed boats meant for tourism. The State can invest or develop a financial mechanism to facilitate owners to do it.
Second, investment in life jacket, life guards and surveillance system is a must to minimize future loss. It means everyone on board must wear life jacket and there should be safety apparatus in a boat. Similarly surveillance system with communication device and respond system must be in place to take action even though there may not be any communications from boat side.
Third, boating safety courses must be offered to all the riders be it for commercial or leisure. The courses must include aspects of boating safety, from boat handling to reading the weather. Fourth, boat safety check should be mandatory. Fifth, those who know swimming must know how to rescue others. Sixth, overloading a boat with freight or passengers will make the boat unstable and increase the risk of capsising. So the operator and passengers must abide by the boat capacity which needs to be displayed in a plate in the boat.
Seventh, every water body or river is not meant for boating and hence, permission should be given only where boating is viable. State must review its old policy on boating. Kids, children and senior citizens should be banned for boat riding. Eighth, the State Tourism department must ensure safety measures or integrate disaster risk reduction first before promoting tourism.
(Dr Rout is a practitioner of urban management, public policy and disaster management)