ALPPUZHA: Accidents leading to the death of tourists here are increasing due to the lack of night halt centres for the houseboats. The construction of six such centres under the mega tourism circuit project has been going on at a snail’s pace.
The latest episode took place on Monday night when a houseboat ‘Seiko’ with 15 French tourists on board started sinking at Kuppapuram near here. On Friday, 51 tourists miraculously escaped as a houseboat partially sank into the waters near Dock Chira near Punnamada.
Two veterinary doctors drowned in the lake on Saturday night while they were taking a stroll along the unprotected area near the anchored boat.
There is no fixed place for hundreds of houseboats to drop anchor during the night. Nor are there any entertainment facilities for tourists in the evening.
Mr C. Pradeep, secretary, District Tourism Promotion Council, says the two vets could have been saved if there was night halt facility in place.
“They fell into the water slipping from the small concrete platform near Vattakayal where the boat was anchored. The centres are being built in a vast area near Vattakkayal so that they could offer security to travellers during the night. The works will be completed soon,” he claims.
At least four fatal cases have been reported so far while the toll last year was six. The death of the vets is the third fatal incident in the last three months.
On May 17, Anjith, 28, a native of Nemam, Thiruvananthapuram, was electrocuted as he touched an 11KV line which crossed over the Punnamada jetty. Two weeks ago, a houseboat employee from Kainakary downed in Punnamada jetti.
“The reasons for the mishaps are many,” says, a tourism police official. “The industry requires competent, committed and professional employees. Not all the workers in the majority of the houseboats can swim let lone communicate with the guests politely. The vets could have been saved if the employees had stopped them from going to the danger area, ” the official points out.
