RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Days of hard work paid off on Tuesday as Dharmadi Satyam-led marine experts managed to pull out Royal Vasishta boat, which capsized in River Godavari in Kachaluru of Devipatnam mandal on September 15.
The retrieval works were supervised by Captain Adinarayana of Kakinada Port. Addressing the media, he said, "This was a real test for all and Dharmadi Satyam and his team have successfully completed the task. They deserve a pat from everybody. However, the incident is sad as many people lost their lives. We should take all precautionary measures and ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future." Satyam expressed satisfaction for having succeeded but acknowledged that the mission was difficult.
"But we achieved our goal with the help of Captain Adinarayana, scuba divers, police, SI Nagaraju and locals, without the cooperation of whom, it would not have been possible. But I would also like to convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims," he added.
What speeded up the retrieval works was the roping in of the scuba divers from Visakhapatnam, who played a crucial role in the rescue operations in the past one week. There were six in the team, who pinpointed the location of Royal Vasishta and hooked it, enabling it to be pulled out. Initially, they were told against venturing to the accident site as the heavy flow of water posed danger. However, they continued with their work later.
One of the divers said, "We are used to these type of risky situations as it is our job. There was no point of fear and tension. But we understand the protocols the police have to abide by." Madhusudhan, another diver said, "We went into the river and identified the location. I saw two to three bodies inside the boat during the dive. We need to check thoroughly to retrieve all the bodies."
On the other hand, the ban on fishing in areas of Devipatnam, fishermen have been facing difficulties. Owing to the floods in River Godavari and later the boat capsizing incident, entry into the river has been stopped. "We are sitting idle for the last three months and there is no source of income. How can we sustain our families like this?" Ramarao from Kachaluru questioned.
Another fisherman from Kachaluru, Suryanarayana said putting a ban on their livelihood had left them helpless. "Though we have been paid Rs 4,000 as compensation, it is not sufficient to maintain the family for three to four months," he said.
Ramayya, a fisherman from Devipatnam said when the probability of a flood-like situation has been diffused, they should be allowed to fish now.