Banning unfit vessels in waterways demanded
Speakers at a press conference yesterday urged the government to take strict measures to stop plying unfit vessels in the country's inland waterways ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr for ensuring passengers' safety.
Plying of unfit launches is the key reason for major accidents in the waterways. These unfit launches are plying due to absence of proper monitoring. So, the government should take strict measure to stop plying of these unfit launches to avoid further accidents, they said.
They placed the demand at a press conference titled 'Safe Waterways: How prepared the government is to prevent riverine accidents' organised by the Nirapod Noupath Bastobayon Jote, an alliance for implementation of safe waterways, at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.
During the Eid festival thousands of people leave Dhaka through vessels. To deal with the excessive passengers, the vessels become overloaded which is another major cause of riverine accidents. So, the authorities concerned should keep sharp vigil to check playing of overloaded vessels.
They placed some short-term and long-term recommendations to ensure safe waterways.
The shot-term recommendations include ensuring strong monitoring on the launch terminals, keeping sufficient number of life jackets, deploying sufficient law-enforcers, keeping coast guard forces ready to address disasters, enlisting identities of all passengers before riding on vessels.
The long-term recommendations include amendment to the Inland Shipping Ordinance (ISO), 1976, formation of marine court at Chandpur, Barisal, Patukhali and Khulna, increasing ship surveyors and inspectors and identification of risky routes.
Jote Coordinator Atiqul Islam Chowdhury, its member Mostafa Kamal Akand, Cost Trust assistant director Dr Sohel Iqbal, among others, spoke at the press conference.
Meanwhile, another organisation Safe Waterways Implementation Movement yesterday placed a memorandum to the shipping minister demanding government's effective steps for taking safety measures for passengers in waterways.
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