Kochi: Mindless violation of rules due to political interference and bureaucratic apathy leads to accidents and loss of lives on Kerala waters, Dr Jacob Thomas, director-general of police (fire force) has said.
“Rules mandate that the design of a vessel has to be approved by the authority before its construction begins,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
“But this is not often the case. People seek, and get, certificates without meeting the norms. We sacrifice the safety of our people for expediency.”
The Inland Vessel Rules, 2010, provide for measures that ensure safety of passengers but there is little system to implement them strictly, Dr Thomas, who as director of ports played the leading role in framing the rules, said.
There are four authorities mandated with ensuring the rule. They are the competent authority, the registering authority, chief examiner and chief surveyor.
“People who are not competent or qualified to sit on critical positions manage to secure such positions,” he said.
“They endanger the safety of the people.”
The rules mandate that a survey has to be conducted before the vessel is put in service, a periodical survey once in every 12 months and additional surveys as occasion demands.
“But this is seldom done, and there is no system to oversee it,” Dr Thomas said.
The legal standards are such strong that a boat should not capsize if all the people who are allowed to travel on it come to one side.
“This can be ensure only if the proper inspection is done,” he said.
Kochi waters need specially skilled people to run the boats as its lakes have strong under currents, there is a shipping channel and a estuary.
“Accidents can be avoided if people tasked to ensure that laws governing the skills of people who run the boats did their job,” Dr Thomas said.
