
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Now adventure activity providers operating floating bridges should ensure that the bridge design is authorised by vetting agencies, including government engineering colleges, IITs or NITs, before getting the NoC.
After nearly a year of abrupt shutdown, the Kerala Tourism and the Kerala State Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) is gearing up to revive the much-touted floating bridges -- one of the key adventure tourism products -- by introducing stringent rules and regulations to ensure safety. The new guidelines mandate the operation of floating bridges for a period of seven months from October to April when the weather is favourable.
In March, last year, 15 people, including women and children, fell in the sea after the floating bridge collapsed owing to rough waves at the Papanasam beach in Varkala exposing safety issues.
The incident had cast a shadow over the entire adventure tourism activities in the state prompting the government to conduct a comprehensive review of existing safety measures and the need to lay stringent regulations to govern such water-based adventure activities in the state. Subsequently, NIT, Calicut, was roped in for drawing up ‘the floating bridge regulations, operations and safety guidelines’.
An official source said the inspection of three out of the nine floating bridges at Beypore in Kozhikode, Chavakkad in Thrissur and Kuzhuppilly in Ernakulam has started. “The guidelines came into effect already and we have asked the operators to keep the floating bridges at six other locations ready for inspections. The bridges will be made operational after the inspections,” said the official.
As per the new guidelines, the adventure activity operators should make sure that the tourists, life guards and inspection staff are covered under accident and death insurance of appropriate value. It is suggested to go for public liability insurance cover with workmen compensation for a minimum of Rs 1 crore.