The boat reportedly lacked a required safety certificate and was overcrowded. The majority of passengers lacked life jackets. Despite a ban on boat trips after sunset, the boat was in the waters rather late in the evening. It is a national characteristic to disregard safety regulations or to defy them. For all parties involved, including tourists, a casual and carefree attitude is the norm.
Source: Hindustan Times
When a disaster occurs, the first steps are to call for an investigation, declare compensation, and attempt to assign blame. The boat owner shouldn’t be held solely responsible for the situation. The capsizing is evidence of a widespread failure of the system. The awful images from the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat last year came to mind. The catastrophe, which cost 141 lives, was referred to as an enormous tragedy by the Supreme Court.
The primary considerations while choosing a tourism site are safety and comfort. A calamity may have a long-term detrimental effect on a place’s reputation and visitor traffic. On the other hand, it ought to result in fundamental changes in the way tour operations are carried out.
Source: NDTV
Guidelines for mitigation, readiness, response, and recovery are not only designed to be posted on a board that no tourists will ever look at. Mandatory compliance with a set of soft and hard measures is required in tourist regions. Penalise the negligent organisers and visitors severely, suspend licences, and call out the regulatory teams for their careless oversight. It can’t be that challenging.
A significant economic driver that creates several jobs is tourism. To reduce hazards, adherence to a code of behaviour is necessary. Repeating tragic incidents that were completely avoidable simply demonstrates our unwillingness to grow and change. It’s shameful.
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