PUDUCHERRY: While the death of 22 persons after their boat capsized in Pulicat lake, on December 25, shocked the entire region, it seems that the officials of the Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) here have learnt no lessons from the tragic incident.Tourists who took boat rides on the Chunnambar backwaters, a tourist hot spot, on Monday, were not insisted on to wear the life jackets. Boats were also overloaded.In order to check if the precautions mandated by the tourism department were being followed in the backwaters, this reporter took a ride on one of the boats in the guise of a tourist. What transpired showcased the complacency of the officials just a day after the Pulicat lake tragedy. As the holiday crowd built up around noon, the officials decided to press into service the 40-person capacity boat that was docked nearby. This was despite the fact that the boat had just about 20 life jackets. When some of the tourists, including this reporter, questioned the unavailability of jackets, they were told that “this is just a 15-minute ride and it is completely safe even without a jacket.” This was despite the fact that a board outside the ticketing counter expressly stated that “wearing life jackets was compulsory.” Also, though the capacity of the boat was clearly marked as 40, around 48 people got on board for the ride. This reporter, along with six others, were made to stand for the entire 15-minute trip on the backwaters with a depth of about 15-20 feet.When questioned about the overloading, one of the guides replied the number was only a “precautionary one” and that the boat could take “at least 10 more if necessary.” Even on boats which had adequate life jackets, the officials failed to insist on their usage. Many tourists were seen avoiding them as they felt that the jackets were not clean enough. Higher officials in the PTDC could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
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