ALAPPUZHA: The district administration has decided to carry out a survey of the boats plying in the Alappuzha backwaters to ensure their safety standards. Collector N. Padmakumar has ordered boat owners to register them online before December 31. An adalat will also be held on December 18 and 19 to sort out the issues of unregistered houseboats.
“There are 1,320 boats, including houseboats and shikharas, in Alappuzha. We have decided to give a one-time chance to those who are still reluctant to register their boats," the collector said.
Mr Abraham Kuriakose, port officer, said that there was no proper system to track down erring houseboats. The port officials will conduct a spot checking of the safety and stability of the boats during online registration. Many houseboats without registration certificates are still carrying out service here," he said.
A raid carried out by a police team on June 20 had found 250 houseboats without valid documents. But no step to confiscate illegal boats has been taken.
At least 659 licensed houseboats and 248 shikharas are plying in the backwaters of Alappuzha. Of them, only 700 boats have passed stability test while 5,500 persons were given licences as crew members, according to the port department data.
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