AP CM Plans Authority On Boat Movements In Water

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu today said a Traffic Regulation Authority would be set up to regulate boat movements in the waters.

The authority would be on par with the one handling vehicular traffic on the roads, the Chief Minister said, and would regulate the movements of boats in the water to prevent accidents like capsizing.

Speaking in the AP Assembly, the CM said that a criminal case had been registered against the boat owners after the boat capsize tragedy in the Krishna river that took the lives of pilgrims who were on their way to the Pavitra Sangam. So far 20 bodies had been retrieved from the river, he said, adding that 21 other victims were admitted in a hospital and 17 of them discharged. Four others were still undergoing treatment, he said.

The CM said that three ministers had been deputed to oversee the rescue operations.

"The ill-fated boat did not have permission to run in the waters. The victims first contacted the APTDC about the availability of a boat to go to the sangam, but the APTDC authorities declined permission for such a trip due to poor visibility. But the victims hired a private boat and began their journey to the sangam when the accident occurred," Naidu informed the Assembly.

"The government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs to the kin of each of the deceased, and a committee consisting of IAS and IPS officers will be set up to prevent such incidents in future," the CM added.