Houseboats in Alappuzha floating without safety measures

ALAPPUZHA: The safety of houseboats has come under the scanner again with two houseboats catching fire here on Thiruvonam day. The houseboats- Penbow (single bedroom) and The Venice (three bedrooms) – caught fire around 6 a.m.  

The fire broke out in Penbow first, which was fully destroyed,  and spread to the other, which suffered partial damage. There were no casualties.

The fire and rescue force and local people put out the fire and prevented it from spreading. At least 300 houseboats are usually berthed there.

Mr Muraleedharan, SI, Tourism Police, said that  Shaji, the employee in the first boat, was drunk when  the incident took place. “The exact reason for the  fire is yet to be ascertained. It might have started  from the kitchen,”  he said.  

This is the third accident here in a month. Earlier,  two houseboats had capsized in the backwaters  within two days. A total of 51 domestic tourists belonging to six families from Alappuzha, Thrissur, Idukki, Kannur and Kattappana  escaped miraculously.

On June 20, a raid carried out by a police  team  had found 250 houseboats without valid documents. But, so far no action has been taken against them. There is no  permanent  fire and rescue squad.   On Friday, it was the fire and rescue  team of KSRTC which put out the fire.

In January 2012, the houseboat owners association and houseboat operators association had  called on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy  demanding the setting up of a mini fire station  at the finishing point here. But nothing has materialised so far.

At least 659 licensed houseboats and 248 shikharas are  plying in the backwaters of Alappuzha.  Of these, only 700 boats have passed stability tests while 5,500 persons were given licences as crew members.

“The carelessness of the employees is  often the reason for the fire accidents.  Action will be taken against the drunken employee in the boat that was gutted on Friday,” said  Mr C. Pradeep, secretary, District Tourism Promotion Council.