Once again, it has taken a completely avoidable tragedy to open our eyes to the dangers that face the city
Once again, it has taken a completely avoidable tragedy to open our eyes to the dangers that face the city. This weekend, we could hear the warning bells ringing for overcrowded ferries after a private bat capsized in Dahanu with 40 students on board.
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At least three youngsters drowned, and some are still missing. Locals, who really know best when it comes to boats, attributed the incident to overloading of the vessel. While the boat was recently introduced to the beach, locals said that those who operated this boat regularly took in more than the boat capacity.
This is a common problem with some boats and ferries in the city. Overcrowding and overloading is tempting because the boat operators stand to make much more money. A case in point are the ferries from Madh Island to Versova and back. These are overloaded to at least thrice the optimum capacity. If accidents have been averted, it simply due to good fortune in spite of recklessness.
We want the government to take a good, hard look at all private boats and public ferries operating along the city's coastline. Why are boats packed to dangerous capacity? The safety limit on the number of passengers should be clearly marked on the boat. A regulatory body needs to monitor these vessels. If operators are found to take more passengers than allowed, their licence should be cancelled on the spot.
Are there life vests on these ferries? Is there an announcement system when things go wrong? Can passengers be shown a small film or given a set of instructions about what to do in case of danger? We see many boats without basic safety measures. It is time for thorough review and action against such recklessness. Do not wait for another tragedy to act.
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