Safety first: KSWTD boats to be fitted with bilge, fire alarms

KOCHI: Crew on board state-run vessels will soon get the upper hand in dealing with safety concerns like water inside the vessel or fire hazards. For the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) has decided to install bilge and fire alarms on the vessels to enhance the safety of people and crew on-board its boats. A proposal by the government in this regard received the green light recently.

Kerala had witnessed several boat tragedies which led to the loss of numerous lives. The post surveyor brought out a notice regarding upgrading of safety equipment in boats operating in the state. Considering this, KSWTD decided to upgrade its existing boats by fitting the two types of alarms. “Before making safety aspects mandatory, KSWTD wants all its boats be fitted with bilge and fire alarms. The government has accepted the proposal.

All boats will be fitted with safety equipment within a year,” said KSWTD director Shaji V Nair. The bilge alarm will ring and alert crew members if water enters the boat’s hull. This will allow the crew to take appropriate measures for keeping the boat from sinking. The fire alarm will alert the crew if any smoke or fire is detected in the engine chamber.  “Currently, KSWTD is operating 55 services. We have around 60 boats, including 40 steel boats and 20 boats made of wood. Safety equipment will be fitted in all of them,” Shaji said.

Fitting safety equipment in the boats will cost around `16.2 lakh. It will take `28,000 and `25,000 for fitting the equipment in each steel boat and each boat made of wood, respectively. The fund will be allocated from the `1.1 crore set aside for buying new engines and repairing the boats. New boats soon

The construction of new boats is under way and the vessels will be rolled out in a few months. Following the success of the solar ferry service along the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu route, KSWTD is planning to introduce more such ferries. Water taxis will also be started in Kochi. The design for the taxis has been approved and construction will commence soon.