Thekkady boat accident..

passerby

Yes it was country boat (non-motorised) ferrying across schoolgoing children. As per the report, it capized because 40 children were squeezed on board where the permitted number was around 25.

Nick-H

There is very little that I have seen to tell us what happened. One survivor said that the boat was being pulled by ropes because of the lower water level of the river. She said that it tilted, and so the passengers stood up. Maybe it ran aground? If so, then how come so many drownings if the water was that shallow? How come children, used to boats as a matter of daily life stood up in a tilting boat; I would sit down. Many questions; no answers.

I have no idea if this kind of boat comes under any regulation or control whatsoever. It may be informal or shared. I'd be interested to know... members from that area?

There was a picture of the boat on The Hindu site. I can't find it now.

Here is news coverage and government enquiry coverage from that site

Dacoit Chief

No, as far as the government is concerned at least... these are considered (by in large) to be completely unregulated services.

They do however have to get some sort of a permit from the local Thasildar or Panchayat to run the service. Nobody will ever officially comment on the fee that accompanies this 'permit'.

W.r.t this accident, the boatman says that some of the schoolboys were tugging the towrope that was spanning across the waterway. Sounds like classic schoolboy behaviour... Probably they were showing off to the ill fated school girls who were on the boat??

nairpriya2004

There was a picture of the boat on The Hindu site. I can't find it now.

Here is http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/


As far as this accident is concerned over load and childish misbehaving is the reason. In Kerala many of these kind country made small boats are used crossing the river the road root may be longer so crossing the river is the fastest way(cut short the distances)to reach home
The boatman told the children not overload in this boat meant for 15-20 capacity still they did not care over laded in it one can imagine the typical school children behavior ,they might have been tugging the towrope that was spanning across the river or danced on board to shine in front of the ill fated school girls who were on the boat
Any way the tragedies are is some thing heart braking weather it is tahttekkad,Thekkady or Malapuram many innocents loose their lives unknowingly due to some ones misbehaves or carelessness. I raised these issues in different forum and discussion boards.

Nick-H

Well, ultimately, the poor boatman has to take responsibility for the overloading, as he can say "no". However, in that environment, I suspect that saying no would result in some of the children taking the paddles.

nairpriya2004

yes nick U R right
finaly the boat man will be punished for this.

we need to educate the pople unless and until nothing going to change look this pic too this boat pic is not kerala it from one of nothern state

Attached Thumbnails

   

capt_mahajan

From the Tribune, 2004- hope things have changed.

Children from Dobra Jageer cross Ajnal river on a single-rope bridge for going to school in Adampur Chawni, near Bhopal

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Hyderabadi

More exciting pictures from Hyderabad Traffic Police:




More here: http://www.htp.gov.in/Campaigns-Photos.html

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Nick-H

nairpriya2004, interesting photo. Not a Kerala boat? But shows very well how it must have been, anyway.

The next posts underline that this is not a matter of marine rules, it is a matter of a national apathy about safety

nairpriya2004

hi nike this the stage of india overn crowded

passerby

You said it, Nick. Our people have this careless attitude towards safety in their everyday lives. You have to force people to wear seat belts and helmets, and that too will be met with big time protests if they can help it.

When I came to Mangalore, I was surprised to see a good number of motorcyclists on the roads wearing industrial safety helmets - the plastic hard hats, the types that are designed to protect the head mainly from falling objects. The police are happy as long as these people have something hard on their heads. I haven't seen this practice anywhere other than in Mangalore though.


About ten years back I was in the construction industry, and I remember the tough time our safety officers had in convincing labourers and supervisors alike about the need to comply with safety requirements. Yet when no one's watching, the workers happily do away with the more 'inconveninent' safety measures.

Nick-H

That is not just India. When I used to work in an engineering factory, drilling holes in bits of metal, we used to put the guards on for an inspection only. However... the were no exposed drive chains, belts, etc, which would probably be the norm here. Certainly is in all the small engineering works I've looked through the door of. Even the attitude of putting costs before the health and safety of workers is hardly unique to India .

Maybe what's different here is the total lack of recognition of risk and danger --- and that the cost cutting thing is taken to extremes.

de_cooky

Money is the resource that is scarce..people aplenty.
In a country of 1 billion "human resource" becomes a commodity.

CliveG

Maybe the recognition of danger is there but are workers prepared to argue with their bosses for safeguards possibly in the knowledge that they might be sacked and be replaced by someone desperate for a job who is prepared to ignore the dangers.
As a matter of interest does anyone know if Health and Safety inspectors exist and if so do they make regular inspections of boats, factories, building sites etc.?

Nick-H

My reasoning about this is that it extends into the arena of employment, rather than out of it.

Before we even start on dangers in the work place, there is a lack of risk awareness in personal life. Comments have been made about seat belts, bike helmets, babe-in-arms on bikes, and so on. What goes on on the roads is India in microcosm, I'm afraid.

If I am an employer in an engineering shop, and I employ you to operate a machine, it is likely that neither of us will bat an eyelid at the unguarded drive belt.