Boat tragedy aftermath: CM reviews boat rule, safety measures

Bhubaneswar: Four days after the heart-wrenching boat capsize incident in Sambalpur district’s Hirakud reservoir that claimed 31 lives, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed Odisha Boat Rule, 2004 in a bid to strengthen the mechanism governing plying of vessels in major water bodies of the State.

The CM's meeting held at the State Secretariat here featured issues including various safety measures including availability of life jackets, trained drivers and their license.

“It was decided that all the boats plying in all big reservoirs including upper Indravati, Kolab, Hirakud, Bhitarkanika, Chilika and others will be licensed and inspected properly. Passenger capacity of the boats will be checked. It will also be investigated that whether the drivers are well trained, SRC Pradipta Mohapatra told media persons adding that Inland and waterways directorate under the department of commerce and transport will look after all these matters.

He said the CM has decided to provide adequate numbers of life saving jackets to all the boats. The inland and waterways department will take mechanical engineers from special relief department and they will camp in rotation at all the reservoirs to examine the boats and safety measures, he added.