Kerala to ensure houseboat safety

Kerala will step up security checks on houseboats and jetties, a minister said on Sunday, a day after four people drowned in  Vembanad Lake here after a boat capsized due to overloading.

A complete check on the safety of each and every houseboat will be done, state Minister for Ports K Babu said after a meeting with top officials.  “My department will come out with a list of new boat jetties (to check overcrowding at boarding points),” he said.

“The checking will begin on Monday and it has also been decided to conduct a training camp for both houseboat owners and those who work on these boats,” Babu said. Two women and two childern, from Tamil Nadu were drowned in Vembanad lake on Saturday after their boat capsized due to overloading.

“The biggest deficiency that we face here is that we have just 20 jetties and hence there is always a crowding,”said houseboat owner Tomy Pulikattil.