The boat accident in Tanur, Malappuram on Sunday evening in which 22 people including women and children died, is the biggest tragedy the state had to witness in recent times. The accident happened to people who were planning to go on a water trip to enjoy their day off. The boat capsized unexpectedly while turning near the estuary. The accident took the lives of many people when they were about to complete the last trip of the day, carrying many passengers on two floors.

Ignoring the chances of a disaster, the boat was filled with passengers beyond its capacity on both floors. The boat which was going to complete its last trip of the day, took the lives of many innocents. The rule is to end the service at 6 pm, but it is reported that the boat 'Atlantic' which met with the accident, left for its last trip after 7 pm. Carrying more than twice as many people in a boat that can hold twenty-five people and carelessly turning the boat back at the estuary are the reasons that led to the accident.

Safety jackets have been made mandatory for watercraft passengers in the wake of several deaths in waterbodies in the past. Unfortunately, not a single passenger on the Atlantic boat that was involved in the accident was wearing a life jacket. It has to be assumed that the boat owner had only one goal and that was to make maximum money by charging one hundred rupees per person.

Whether on land or in water, it is when there are accidents that lead to loss of life on a large scale, that the government and all the responsible authorities feel a sense of duty. In such cases, they will make a jump at the chance to make the law and order stricter. However, when the memories of the disaster begin to fade from the minds of the people, law and order will return to the books and this is a recurring tragedy. At tourist destinations, especially those with water transportation facilities, the authorities remind people of the precautions to be taken but do not check to see if the conditions are met. It is this attitude, which may be called laziness or carelessness, that often throws poor people who seek a moment's pleasure amid the burdens of life, to death.

The loss suffered by the relatives of the people killed in the accident cannot be hidden by giving them a few lakhs or by showing fake grief. A lost life cannot be returned even if everything on earth is given in return. The people who passed in the accident include young children to the breadwinners of the family. What can be said to comfort their loved ones? A slight delay in rescue operations in the most critical early stages led to an increase in deaths. Another pleasure boat that witnessed the accident could not do anything for the first few minutes. They started the rescue operation only after bringing their passengers ashore first. Meanwhile, many small boats and local people had started the rescue operations. In such cases, the opportunistic interventions of the locals often help the victims the most.

Both the young and the old overcame the adverse conditions and jumped into the muddy and flowing water to rescue the accident victims. As the area had no road facilities, the locals demolished walls to make way for vehicles and ambulances. This service which can be said to be divine, cannot be praised enough. They were the ones who stood in the front without wasting any time to take the accident victims to the hospital, bring the sunken boat to the shore and check if any more passengers were trapped. The crowd at the hospital on Monday morning showed the full extent of the tragedy. It is worth mentioning that the government systems, which were alert to the occasion, took the lead in rescue operations and preparing facilities in hospitals. It was comforting that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached the disaster area on Monday morning and consoled the bereaved relatives.

Every tragedy teaches many lessons. Boating accidents are not happening for the first time in the water-rich state. Many lives have already been lost in boat accidents. It is customary to conduct investigations by special commissions when there are major accidents, but the truth is that at the end of the investigations, none of the suggestions in the reports prepared and submitted by the commissions are sincerely implemented. Comprehensive investigations were conducted into the Thekkady boat accident which killed 45 people and the Thattekad accident that killed 18 people. The investigation reports were full of valuable suggestions. Even the simple instruction that passengers must wear safety jackets while traveling on water is not followed by the boat operators.

After covid, there is a huge rush of tourists across the state. Water entertainments are also very busy. The tragedy at Thooval Theram is a reminder that the operation of pleasure boats must only be done adhering to safety standards. It is said that preventing disease is better than treating it. Similarly, disasters from water entertainment can be prevented if done with care and adequate safety. The need is not to control the fun but to provide the necessary security while having it. The government has announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each to the dependents of those who died in the boat accident at Thooval Theram. A judicial inquiry into the accident has also been decided. These are all good things but there should be an impetus to implement the recommendations made in the inquiry report as well.