KOZHIKODE: The boat tragedy at Thattekkad should serve as an eye-opener to the authorities to initiate necessary steps to ensure the safety of visitors in the prominent tourist spots in Malabar.
The tragedy has exposed the danger lurking beneath the enthralling boat rides in rivers and reservoirs, especially where private parties operate service. Meanwhile, it has also brought to focus the adverse impact caused by sand mining.
According to the Tourism Department officials, private agencies operate boat services in many tourist spots and the department has no provision to monitor their services.
In Malabar, private boat services are on at Kanayankode, Korapuzha, Kuniyilkadavu and Beypore in Kozhikode, at Parasinikadavu, Valapattanampuzha and couple of other spots in Kannur, and at Bakel and Neeleswaram in Kasargod.
Malappuram District Tourism Promotion Council has leased out the boats to a private party at Biyyam Kayal. Hydel Tourism Wing of the KSEB is running a boat service in Padinharethara in Wayanad district. Pookkott lake, one of the hot tourist spot in Wayanad is deprived of adequate number of boats.
However, security measures at these spots should also come under scanner, taking into consideration the tourism boom in Malabar.
Regional Joint Director of Tourism Department M Raghudas told this website's newspaper that Tourism Department is not responsible for the accidents that happen during boat rides and house boat rides being run by private parties.
‘‘Tourism Department does not have a role in providing license to a hotel or operating house boat services at tourist spots. As far as the boating services are concerned, it is the chief inspector, which is responsible in issuing license,’’ he said.
‘‘As per the rules, only those who would like to obtain government approval can avail certificates from the department, for which department has set certain parameters,’’ he said. So the question that will ensure safety of tourists remains unanswered.
The security measures at Tusharagiri, another prominent tourist spot in the district, had also come under scanner. Addyanpara waterfalls at Nilambur had also witnessed an incident of drowning recently.
It is alleged that the indiscriminate sand mining contributed considerably to the drowning cases reported from Malabar. An NIT-C student recently drowned in a pit formed due to sand mining.
According to environmentalist Dr A Achuthan, sand mining creates whirlpools in the river, making it difficult for even the best among the swimmers to escape.
The tragedy has exposed the danger lurking beneath the enthralling boat rides in rivers and reservoirs, especially where private parties operate service. Meanwhile, it has also brought to focus the adverse impact caused by sand mining.
According to the Tourism Department officials, private agencies operate boat services in many tourist spots and the department has no provision to monitor their services.
In Malabar, private boat services are on at Kanayankode, Korapuzha, Kuniyilkadavu and Beypore in Kozhikode, at Parasinikadavu, Valapattanampuzha and couple of other spots in Kannur, and at Bakel and Neeleswaram in Kasargod.
Malappuram District Tourism Promotion Council has leased out the boats to a private party at Biyyam Kayal. Hydel Tourism Wing of the KSEB is running a boat service in Padinharethara in Wayanad district. Pookkott lake, one of the hot tourist spot in Wayanad is deprived of adequate number of boats.
However, security measures at these spots should also come under scanner, taking into consideration the tourism boom in Malabar.
Regional Joint Director of Tourism Department M Raghudas told this website's newspaper that Tourism Department is not responsible for the accidents that happen during boat rides and house boat rides being run by private parties.
‘‘Tourism Department does not have a role in providing license to a hotel or operating house boat services at tourist spots. As far as the boating services are concerned, it is the chief inspector, which is responsible in issuing license,’’ he said.
‘‘As per the rules, only those who would like to obtain government approval can avail certificates from the department, for which department has set certain parameters,’’ he said. So the question that will ensure safety of tourists remains unanswered.
The security measures at Tusharagiri, another prominent tourist spot in the district, had also come under scanner. Addyanpara waterfalls at Nilambur had also witnessed an incident of drowning recently.
It is alleged that the indiscriminate sand mining contributed considerably to the drowning cases reported from Malabar. An NIT-C student recently drowned in a pit formed due to sand mining.
According to environmentalist Dr A Achuthan, sand mining creates whirlpools in the river, making it difficult for even the best among the swimmers to escape.
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