The boat that capsized on Wednesday, killing newly-wed Siddesh Pawar, had charted a course for disaster the minute it lifted anchor off the Gateway of India.
The overloaded boat was the last one to be pressed into service and did not have clearance from the Mumbai Port Trust.
The boat, Manas-3, carrying 25 media persons and government officials upturned on Wednesday when it hit a rock, and 34-year-old Vakola resident drowned before he could be rescued. Fishermen bodies, who oppose the memorial project due to its adverse impact on the ecology, have taken strong heed of the incident. Damodar Tandel of the Akhil Maharashtra Machimar Kruti Samiti says he will file an FIR into the incident.
The boat was on its way to the Shivaji Memorial site, off Mumbai's coast, in what seems like an exercise of political strutting. The ceremonial Jalpujan took place a few months ago, but the memorial implementation committee corralled a group of political workers and bureaucrats to "officially announce" commencement of work. A group of journalists was also invited to witness and publicize this political lathering.
Invitations were sent out by both – Shivsangram Party founder Vinayak Mete and the state Public Works Department to state Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and the PWD Secretary, among others.
Three boats were first enlisted for the program, the requisite and mandatory permissions for which were cleared by the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT). However, when the number of attendees rose, a fourth boat was pushed into service last month.
MbPT officials and a PWD official have confirmed to DNA that this boat – the one that capsized – did not have the requisite sailing permissions to venture into the sea. A preliminary inquiry has also revealed that the fitness certificate for the boat allotted it a passenger strength of 20 people, but 24 were on board on Wednesday.
The ill-fated boat, it turns out, would not be allowed to sail on sand by conscientious authorities. It did not have adequate safety equipment, including life-jackets.
A PWD official also admitted that despite this being a government function, a recce of the venue was not undertaken, nor were any trials conducted under the supervision of officers and personnel from the Coast Guard and Navy.
"Since this was a government function involving important state officials," he says, "the boats could have been requested from the Coast Guard or the Navy. As per protocol, these would then be tracked by a helicopter."
Sources say the captain of the ill-fated boat was not qualified and is believed to have compromised with the navigation plan.
A retired Coast Guard officer says the tragedy could have been averted had the organisers been mindful of tide movement – the programme should not have been organised at low tide. However, an investigation will reveal whether this crucial detail was considered before the trip.
Meanwhile, none of the authorities is taking responsibility for the loss of life, hiding instead behind reports and investigations. Vinayak Mete, chairman of the state-appointed committee to oversee the project, simply says the site was chosen after adequate research and was approved by the State and private consultants.
"I have asked the Port Marine Chief Deputy Conservator to conduct an enquiry," says Sanjay Bhatia, MbPT chairman.
Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), a nodal agency for development and administration of non-major ports in the state, has also instituted a probe. Vikram Kumar, CEO of MMB, says it will investigate whether the fourth boat had all permissions for sailing and whether it met the safety parameters.
Western Coast Marine India, which owns Manas-3, declined to comment, citing ongoing probe by government authorities.
That Sinking Feeling
- The boat did not have clearance from MbPT
- It had the capacity for 20 passengers; 24 were on board
- Adequate safety equipment, including life-jackets, missing
- No recce of venue undertaken
- No trials conducted under the supervision of Coast Guard, Navy
- Sources say captain not qualified
- Boat set sail during low tide, raising chances of hitting underwater objects
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