KOCHI: Sandbars, floating debris comprising scrap and abandoned fishing are threatening the ambitious plans to improve the water transport system in the district, especially along Vembanad lake. A tourist boat was damaged after hitting a submerged fishing net pole at Panambukad on Monday.
“These poles pose a threat to boats on the lake. Around four tourist boats have been in similar accidents in the recent past,” said Saju P B, secretary, Marine Drive Tourist Boat Association (MDTBA). Minar, which was damaged on Monday had resumed service recently after undergoing repairs. Now, the boat owners have lost several lakhs of rupees, on top of the heavy financial blow dealt by the pandemic,” he said, adding Minar will now have to undergo fresh repairs.
Saju said that the fishing poles do not pose a danger during low tide, but when submerged, they could be harmful to boats. “With many such poles scattered all over the lake, even an experienced helmsman will have a tough time navigating safely,” he says. The boat owners have repeatedly highlighted this concern to the authorities concerned, but there has been no reply.
The formation of sandbars in Kochi backwaters is another major problem affecting boats. “Almost all vessels plying the waters have damaged their propellers after hitting sandbars. After the flood, things have worsened. The lake has become shallow in many areas,” said Saju. Vallarpadam bund and parts of Marine Drive and Kadamakkudy are the worst hit, he says.
“The other day we saw a small dredger clearing the sandbar near Vallarpadam. But it won’t make even a small dent on the huge pile. A massive initiative needs to be undertaken to remove the sand bars, or else these could lead to major accidents,” he added.