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In our riverine country , with rivers, canals and streams reaching up to cities , and village centres, the latest government survey shows that 4300 launches ply the river routes , with 2100 passenger launches , about 200 large vessels and the rest are cargo transports . But , unfortunately every year there are many launch and steamer accidents in the country , which include collisions and capsizing and also on occasion, vessels catching fire . Just over a month ago , a passenger launch and a sand -carrying barge collided, the accident claiming 49 lives as the launch sank. Now, for the first time , the government has published the probe body report prepared by the five-member probe committee consisting of concerned senior officers of the public agencies . The report has identified the lack of operational and navigational skills of the master, the machine operator , and the owner of the launch M.V Shourava for the accident through overloading , faulty construction of the launch and inefficient operation of the navigational staff. The BIWTA’s inspector and the berthing helmsman have also been grossly negligent The government has now taken the requisite and essential step of publishing the probe body report , and launched a drive with 22 officials of the concerned public agencies to take action against unfit and un- surveyed river transports operated by unskilled staff . The district administrations and the police will, of course, be participating in this action plan . Mobile courts have started functioning at Sadarghat to take action against illegal operation of vessels and violation of marine traffic rules by launch owners . We have seen that at the onset of the nor’westers and cyclone season every year , the river vessels which are unfit and overloaded and also losing their way in uncharted waters in storms , are involved in accidents which cause many deaths through capsizing and collisions. Such accidents also occur at times of serene weather. In order to minimise marine accidents , all riverine vessels need to be inspected at the beginning of their voyage and regularly thereafter. The operational skills of the river-vessel staff have to be periodically tested.
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