Khurda: June 16, 2018. The last day of the Raja festival. A boat, carrying 17 passengers including 15 tourists returning after sight-seeing in Kalijai, capsized under the impact of a thunderstorm resulting in the deaths of six people.
A year has passed since the tragic mishap. After the incident it was believed that the dangerous boat journey would be reigned in to some extent.
But the ground reality offers a different picture.
After being caught napping, the then Khurda district administration and Commerce and Transport Minister had issued some guidelines and restrictions.
But these restrictions are being flouted with impunity.
At that time, life jackets were made mandatory for anyone who wished to go visiting into Chilika. Direction is still in place that no one can board a boat if she/he does not wear a life jacket. This direction was issued by the then Commerce and Transport Minister after the tragic mishap.
Yes, when a camera is focused on them, they hastily put them on but come to the jetty on any given day and you will see most of the passengers travelling without life jackets.
While each and every boat must have fire extinguishers, life buoy rings, drinking water, dustbin and shade facilities, the boatman must be a licensed holder to sail a boat.
Direction is also there for boats to undergo inspection to find out whether they are following the laid out specifications relating to size and materials or not.
“It seems the last year’s mishap is not enough to teach us a lesson. Neither the boat owners nor the passengers are serious in following the guidelines. The boat owners are operating throwing the caution to the wind,” alleged some cautious visitors.
Some visitors alleged the Kalijai shrine is devoid of even first aid facilities, let alone medical facilities, despite it enjoying a place on the world tourism map.
The government is spending lakhs of rupees to attract more and more tourists to Chilika. But when it comes to take care of tourists’ interest, things are a miss.
In case any mishap occurs, victims cannot get any medical facility at the shrine itself, though it has been demanded time and again.
“From Balugaon and Barkul Pantha Nivas, hundreds of passengers visit Chilika to have a darshan of Maa Kalijai. There is a health centre at Balugaon, but at Kalijai, there is no such facility,” claimed some tourists like Prasanna Sahu from Phulbani, Pritam Pradhan from Dhenkanal and Uma Devi from Kalahandi.
“At least a temporary or floating health centre should be there for tourists’ safety sake. It is unfortunate that the government is yet to take any step after the boat tragedy,” they alleged.
PNN