Vijayawada: Ten persons have been arrested so far following the boat accident that occurred on November 12, DGP N. Sambasiva Rao told the Chief Minister, when the CM met with a group of ministers and officials from the tourism and irrigation departments on Monday. He reviewed the reports submitted regarding the follow-up of the incident, in which a boat carrying a number of tourists capsized near Vijayawada, killing 22. Inquiries into the tragic accident have been completed and the owners of the boat and organisers have been blamed for neglecting the safety of passengers.
An interim government order to enhance security on the river has allocated officials from the fire department and APSP, while inflatable boats and safety equipment has been installed in strategic locations in the Ghats. The CM instructed that personnel from waterways and police be deployed, and security be tightened. “When the inland waterways start functioning for transport, there needs to be two angles: waterways management and security,” said the Chief Minister.
