Tourism in kerala at stake?
09-10-2009

Madan Menon Thottasseri

As available in station, being a routine I welcomed the early morning sun- rise from the portico of my residence in the Chennai suburb on Thursday October 01, 2009. Then I took the milk packets from the bag hung on the small gate.

Sometimes newspapers are delivered late; fortunately Indian Express is delivered earlier on the day and rightly kept folded into the gate. I have not watched any TV news in the previous night. Thus I unfolded the news paper ardently to read the headlines in the front page…….. 35 tourists drown in Thekkaddy boat capsize………..The State Tourism Development Corporation’s “Jalakanyaka” carrying about 80 passengers sank in famed tourist spot of Thekkady Lake…………. The incident has happened on Wednesday 30th September, at around 5.10p.m.

I have been reading a lot on the tragic accident and also saw frequent television news coverage at intervals on the same during the past few days. The toll mounts to more than 40 and the search for dead bodies are still on the third day. Despite heavy rain in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary at Thekkady in the Idukki district of Kerala, the local villagers and rescue teams are engaged in searching operations.

Kerala State with the marketing tag as the “God’s Own Country” can boast of 44 rivers, around 1000 k.m of navigable back-water routes through tiny hamlet- islands surrounded by thick lush of coconut farms, used for transportation over centuries and thousands of lakes or other water bodies in every nook and corner which will add value for tourism promotion and creation of employment opportunities.

Unfortunately the Tourism in the State failed to build-up a good ‘tourism culture’ wherein the tourists are offered facilities at par with international standards without compromise on safety norms, provision of emergency medical facilities at Tourist location itself, appointment of adequate tourist guides, support staff, trained Rescue Personnel etc., statutory compliances to ensure fitness certifications to equipments for joy-rides, motor boats and Operational guidelines for control regulation like stoppage of boat rides due to inclement weather conditions etc…. etc.

It is a disgrace that as per the reports from print and visual media, not even a single tourist-guide was available in the tragic craft to caution the people not to congregate towards one side in the upper deck on sighting bison or elephants in the shore. What professionalism the Kerala Tourism has as it could not release at least the exact number of people on board when the mishap happened!

This clearly proves that there exists no control or regulation at the grass-root level of administration and operation departments in the state tourism corporation at remote tourist locations. It is evident that tickets were issued even through private agencies much beyond the capacity prescribed for a trip. All Political big-shots, ministers and bureaucrats are responsible for ignoring seriousness in issues connected with the life of people and resorting to an easy going attitude for finally forgetting a present tragedy over a period of time until a fresh one occurs in future.

The current tragedy at Thekkady reminds us the Kumarakam boat tragedy when 29 people drowned while a passenger ferry capsized at the big Vembanad Lake in July, 2002 and the Thattekkad tragedy which took the lives of 15 children and 3 teachers when a ferry cruising through the Periyar River capsized close to a bird sanctuary in February, 2007.

The State govt. had done precious little after the earlier accidents of similar nature. Nothing was done at least for strictly complying with the safety norms for the operation of double-decker cruise at Thekkady. The recommendations for the appointment of a safety Commissioner and proposal for Disaster Management Systems to be implemented etc. by the Justice Narayana Kurup Commission which enquired into the Kumarakam tragedy were totally ignored. Justice Pareed Pillai, who inquired into the Thattekad boat tragedy, had also proposed for Safety standards which were not implemented.

The Govt. should know that just the proclamation of “Gods own country” will not help the tourism industry in the state. The tragedies in tourist locations will certainly have a negative impact on the development of the tourism industry. The state govt. should give an immediate emphasis to the concept of safety norms, give due respect to recommendations of earlier judicial commissions and appoint a safety Commissioner with immediate effect.

Enough funds have to be allocated for providing the infrastructure for the Safety and medical care facilities at all busy tourist locations. The Tourism Corporation can have a tie-up with Indian Navy and arrange for permanent Divers’ Camp at locations like Thekkady to handle emergency situations.

No enquiry by the crime branch of the State Police or the Judicial probe by a sitting Judge in the Kerala High Court etc. will reduce the intensity of the tragedy happened due to dereliction of duties by Tourism officials at Thekkady. The govt. should show courage to book the culprits for the carnage. It is quite interesting to read the latest twist in the probe into the mishap when a Chief Judicial Magistrate directed the Police to register a case against

Mr.Cheriyan Philip, Chairman and Mr.K.J.Mohanlal, Managing Director of KTDC for their role which lead to accident. The Crime Branch of the State police has sought the expertise of Mr.Pyarilal, HOD of Shipping Technology at the Cochin University to look into the technical and structural aspects of the boat that capsized and he had authoritatively identified the “manufacturing defect” of a rightward tilt of 2.9degree which primarily caused the calamity.

The mishap at Thekkady must be an ‘eye-opener’ to Tourism Corporations in all states. Now-a-days tourism corporations in different states are keen on starting Para Jumps, Scuba Diving and other adventure sports in their tourist spots. Of course, what is available at Bangkok, Pattaya, Jakarta, Bali, Colombo etc. can be offered to even domestic tourists in our country.

The idea may be that that being a developing economy, we cannot lag behind the south-east Asia’s tourist destinations. Can we maintain full-proof systems to ensure safety standards and guarantee accident-free tourism in INDIA? The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has to create a Special Task Force for deployment in vulnerable tourist locations through-out India. Regarding my own personal experience of a boat ride in a tourist location…….. . Once … may be in the year 2000 on a vacation trip to Yelagiri Hills, near Jolarpettai in Tamilnadu, South India.
I was into a small rowing boat with my wife and two children enjoying the ride in the big Lake at Yelagiri. Other two tourists were also with us in the boat. Though the boat was rowed by two or three persons, the boat was under the control of a teenager who navigated it. At one particular moment, one or two persons stood up together for clicking their cameras, the boat wildly oscillated.

Everyone including the boy captain screamed for a while……. By god’s grace, nothing happened and somehow safely reached at the jetty. I have experienced Boat rides in big lakes, Cruise trips through big rivers and oceans, Para Jumps and Scuba diving etc in different tourist destinations while on tour in Overseas, but never had any apprehension on the safety or security. Probably it was due to the fact that the tourist guide was with me like a close friend as if known to me for many years giving all support and courage!

The integrity and sincerity of the people managing the tourist sites were visible in their faces! Further there existed professionally managed systems and procedures which were followed very meticulously and mandatorily in front of all tourists. When will Indian Tourism rise to the level in our neighboring South East Nations?

Can we create a very conducive atmosphere par excellence with any internationally acclaimed locations around the globe, to offer the best service to tourists, whether domestic or international and then proudly announce “Incredible India” and “God’s Own Country” etc.? Of course, we can ….. provided we…. our people, officials, politicians and governments take concerted actions to change mind-sets and out- dated style of functioning and start loving the work of serving the nation!

The views expressed here are those of the writer and not necessarily of expressindia.com
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