THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It seems the authorities here have not learned their lessons even after encountering a boat tragedy that killed 45 tourists two years ago in Thekkady.If the allegations raised against the latest addition to the fleet of tourist boats operated by the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) are to be believed, the concerned officials are still in deep slumber as far as the safety of the passengers is concerned.The design of the tourist-cum-passenger boat launched on Wednesday by Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed in Alappuzha under the ‘See Kuttanad’ project is alleged to be a flawed one in terms of safety and stability.The State Government-owned Steel Industrials Kerala Ltd (SILK), which manufactured the boat, handed over it to the KSWTD overlooking an adverse study report prepared by the experts of the Descon, the consultancy cell of the Department of Ship Technology at the Cochin University of Science and Technology.A copy of the report, which is in possession of ‘Express’, says that the boat was thoroughly unsafe for travel.The 90-seater S-41 boat bagan operations on Friday.It is learnt that the design approver of the boat - the naval architect of the Department of Ship Technology, CUSAT - has carried out the standard inkling experiment on February 7, and certified the boat as stable and compliant with safety standards. However, the builder, SILK, as a mandatory practice, appointed an expert committee comprising two experts of Descon.The experts, in their report to the SILK, pointed out gross miscalculations and over-rated parameters of stability. The report says that the miscalculations have resulted in the projection of a rosy value of the centre of the gravity of the boat. They also pointed out that the examination of most critical conditions of loading (like running in full capacity) was also omitted by the design approver.In response to the report, the SILK asked clarification from the design approver to which he submitted a revised calculation. However, Descon officials again found out that the second report was incomplete and had omitted dynamical stability calculations as well as critical loading conditions. They also pointed out serious mistakes in calculations exposing grave threat to the passengers. The experts point out that the wrong projection of stability and safety of the boat would risk the lives of the passengers.When contacted, SILK managing director A Aubid said he was waiting for the final report of Descon. Terming it a non-serious issue, he said the errors, if any, will be rectified. However, he could not give a convincing reply to a query as to why the boat was handed over to the KSWTD without completing the safety check.KSWTD director Shaji V Nair said that he was unaware of the issue. ‘’The boat has obtained fitness certiciate from the Ports Department,’’ he added.
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