Following cyclone Ockhi, safety of boats to be reviewed in Kerala

Marine architects will be sending their recommendations in this regard to the government and boat owners.
Following cyclone Ockhi, safety of boats to be reviewed in Kerala
Following cyclone Ockhi, safety of boats to be reviewed in Kerala
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In the aftermath of the destruction caused by cyclone Ockhi in Kerala, the safety and quality of fishing boats in the state would be reviewed. 

Marine architects will be sending their recommendations in this regard to the government and boat owners. 

A plan has been devised by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) to design handles on the sides and underwater portions of the boats.

During the cyclone, many drowned as they could not get a grip on the fibre boats and the bottom of many of them were slippery. 

Moreover, with many of the boats weighing 400kg, they could not be turned over once they had sunk. 

MV Baiju, a CIFT scientist told Deccan Chronicle that the new handles could be placed in existing boats without affecting the buoyancy and stability of the boats. 

Stressing that the quality of boats was not upto the mark, another scientist remarked, “The steel structures of certain boat develop holes just a year after their purchase. Wooden parts, resins and fibreglass should be of high quality as boats could undergo tremendous pressure.”

In order to ensure a level playing field, the state government plans to put a ceiling on the horsepower of boats, as the high power boats consume their fuel faster. 

Informing that a decade back, there were 80hp engines in boats which would be 18 to 20m long, Baiju said that now there are boats with 550hp engines. He added that a ceiling of 250hp on boats is being enforced which will make fishing economical. 

Besides, the fisheries department has issued directions to boat owners to ensure that the vessels do not overload fish beyond the holding capacity so that the boats can be easily steered in the event of a calamity like a cyclone.  

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