Tourists in houseboats anchored during night time are left with no protection
Representational image
ALAPPUZHA: With the new tourism season round the corner, the clamour to complete night halt centres to provide safety and protection for houseboats and travellers is getting louder.
It was on September 16, 2011 that Tourism Minister, Mr A. P. Anil Kumar announced the 'night halt centres project’ under the first phase of the Rs. 400-crore master plan that aims at giving a facelift to the backwaters of Alappuzha. But construction of six centres under the mega tourism circuit project remains unfinished.
Despite the incidents in the industry, the project is still dragging leaving no protection for tourists in houseboats anchored during the night time.
C. Pradeep, secretary of District Tourism Promotion Council admitted that two lives could have been saved recently if there was a night halt facility in place.
“The centres are being distributed in a vast area near Vattakkayal so that it could offer most security to travellers during night time. Hopefully works will be completed soon,” he says.
At least four tourists had lost their lives in incident on boats so far this year. Veterinary doctors Aravind ,30, and Shihas, 31, from Kollam died after falling off a houseboat in the night on August 1 while on May 17, Anjith, 28, of Nemam, Thiruvananthapuram, got electrocuted as he touched a 11KV line going over the Punnamada jetty.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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