GPS to be installed in boats operating in Chilika: Odisha Min

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to avoid incidents similar to the recent Chilika boat tragedy, it has been decided to install GPS in boats operating in the water lagoon, informed Odisha Commerce & Transport Minister Dr. Nrusingha Charan Sahu today.

“In the report submitted by the Directorate of Ports and Inland Water Transport, installation of GPS in boats in Chilika has been proposed and we will take steps in this regard,” the minister said.

On the other hand, District Collectors have been directed to appoint surveyors to ensure provision of lifebuoys, life jackets and fire extinguishers for boats, said Sahu.

“As per the submitted report, the condition of the boat that capsized in Chilika was not good. The boat had holes for which water entered inside it,” he said.

Though the boatman was provided with four lifebuoys, 20 life jackets and a fire extinguisher, they were not used during the mishap, he added.

Notably, a boat carrying 18 tourists capsized in the Chilika lake on July 16 evening after it was caught in a thunderstorm accompanied by strong wind and rain. As many as six persons drowned in the incident.