89 tourists rescued after boat develops snag en route to Papikondalu

At least 89 tourists were rescued after a private boat developed a technical snag in the Godavari river near the Gandiposamma temple point in Devipatnam mandal of Polavaram district on June 12. The boat had travelled nearly one kilometre from the boarding point when the problem was detected.

Rampachodavaram Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashraf Ali told The Hindu that the boat driver noticed a sudden drop in speed due to a technical issue, reportedly linked to connecting bolts. However, officials from the Irrigation Department are investigating the exact cause of the malfunction.

The private operator later deployed another boat, Jalasri, to ferry the tourists, who continued their scheduled trip to the Papikonda hill range. “Both the boats, including the one that developed the technical snag, have since returned to the boarding point,” Mr. Ashraf Ali said.

In a release issued on Saturday, Rampachodavaram Revenue Divisional Officer K. Swathi said an inquiry committee comprising officials from the Revenue, Irrigation, Tourism and Police departments had been constituted to ascertain the cause of the breakdown and examine whether any operational guidelines had been violated.

Meanwhile, operations of all tourist boats plying between the Gandiposamma Temple point and the Papikonda hill range have been suspended until further orders.

“A fresh safety audit of all private boats will be undertaken from Sunday. The audit will examine safety measures and compliance with operational guidelines before permitting the boats to resume services,” Ms. Swathi said.

However, there will be no restrictions on boat services operating from Kunavaram, through which tourist boats enter the Papikonda hill range via Bhadrachalam in Telangana.