Poor maintenance, lack of safety measures at Gateway of India ferry services

The Tourist Guides Association of Mumbai TOGA has been raising concerns about the hazardous conditions of civilian ferry services operating between the Gateway of India and Elephanta Island Despite these warnings the authorities have failed to address issues including overcrowding on boats and the lack of life jackets for passengersOn August 2 Jerroo Bharrucha the president of TOGA wrote to the chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust MPT highlighting the ldquodisaster waiting to happenrdquo A followup reminder was sent on August 16 reiterating the complaint about the unsafe conditions of the ferries servicing Elephanta Caves a UNESCO World Heritage Site that draws millions of tourists both domestic and internationalldquoWe all agree that the tragic incident in which an Indian Navy speedboat collided with the civil boat Neelkamal resulted in the loss of over a dozen lives with two others including a child still missing However the death toll could have been lower if the boat had not been overcrowded and if passengers had been wearing lifesaving jacketsrdquo underlined BharruchaldquoIn my complaint letter to the Mumbai Port Trust on August 2 I clearly highlighted the hazardous conditions of the ferries operating to Elephanta Island as well as the deplorable state of the steps at both ends of the journeymdashthe Gateway of India and Elephanta Island jettiesrdquo she addedlsquoNo enforcement of rulesrsquoBharrucha told midday that most of the boat operators charge passengers extra to go to the upper deck for a clearer view of the open sea ldquoIt is a risky affair to sit on the upper deck of an overcrowded boat Even the person who filmed the freak collision of the speed boat with the Neelkamal was travelling on the upper deck Although after my complaint the MPT instructed boat operators not to allow passengers on the upper deck there is no system in place to monitor and enforce these rules once boats are out in the open seardquo she saidJerroo Bharrucha president TOGA PicDiwakar SharmaSpeaking about the pathetic conditions of the jetties at Elephanta Caves Bharrucha said most of the steps at the jetties are dangerous due to lack of maintenance by the authorities concerned ldquoInclined steps have become very slippery as these are roundedup International tourists are always bewildered because the World Heritage Site has not been maintained properlyrdquo she saidldquoOne has to walk on a topsyturvy stretch spanning around one kilometre at Elephanta Caves because of boulders on the path Even the toy trains at the site are not maintained Also the spot is always littered and never cleanedrdquo said Bharrucha adding ldquoThis leaves a bad impression on international touristsrdquoAccording to Bharrucha who is a Central governmentcertified tourist guide most of the time ferry passengers have to hop from one boat to another to reach the jetty at the Gateway of India ldquoPassengers risk life and limb jumping from boats We strongly advocate more efficient and safer vessels which comes under the purview of the MPT before a serious accident takes placerdquo she addedA member of the Colaba Sailing Club requesting anonymity said that the four jetties were inadequate for the number of ferry services and the sheer amount of tourists that visit the Gateway of IndialdquoWe need a large area where several maybe 10 ferry vessels can dock simultaneously This kind of infrastructure can only be put up in dock areas like Ferry Wharf Bhaucha Dhakka Tourists can be provided life jackets before boarding thererdquo said the memberldquoOfficials can monitor the number of passengers boarding ferry vessels Only then will safety concerns be addressed The boats should be surveyed for seaworthiness and their engines and firefighting equipment must also be checkedrdquo he addedldquoAt Apollo Bunder there is not enough room for all this The Gateway is a heritage structure and is unnecessarily subjected to wear and tear with numerous ferries docking and no safe boarding facilities Tourists are made to stand in long queues in the hot sun No drinking water facilities or toilets are available All of this can be provided in the docking areardquo he addedOfficial SpeakAt the time when TOGA made a written complaint to MPT its chairperson was Rajiv Jalota who is not associated with it now But Jalota had notified Bhabatosh Chand the thendeputy conservator of MPT to have a formal meeting with them ldquoBut no further communication was made from MPT nor did the DC contact usrdquo said BharruchaMeanwhile midday spoke to Pravin Kumar Singh the present deputy conservator who said ldquoWe have not received any complaint as such but if you have anybody from TOGA please ask them to contact me because Jalota is not associated with us now and I am not aware about the complaint sent to himrdquo When asked who keeps a check on whether the guidelines are flouted by ferry operators Singh said ldquoWe are only facilitating boat services Everything else is overseen by the Maharashtra Maritime Board After the accident we have issued a showcause notice to the boat operator of NeelkamalrdquoldquoWe have now put in place strict guidelines that all ferry operators have to adhere to We are in the process of installing CCTV cameras to prevent overcrowding The CCTVs will also help us see if passengers are wearing life jackets Had all the passengers donned them the casualties would have been lowerrdquo said SinghldquoWe are in the process of making a video that will be displayed on screens installed on ferry boats to educate passengers on steps to take during crises in the middle of the seardquo he added The Chief Port Trust and Nautical Adviser at MMB Pravin Khara said ldquoWe are revising guidelines for the safety and security of passengersrdquo