AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said a Traffic Regulation Authority would be set up to regulate boat movements in the water.
The authority would be on par with vehicular control traffic on the roads, the Chief Minister said, adding that the authority would regulate movements of boats in water to prevent accidents like capsizing. A criminal case has been registered against boat owners after the boat capsize tragedy in Krishna river taking lives of 20 pilgrims, who were on the way to Pavitra sangham.
So far, 20 bodies have been retrieved from the river, he said, adding that 21 victims were admitted in a hospital and 17 of them discharged. Four others are still undergoing treatment. The CM said three ministers have been deputed to oversee rescue operations. The ill-fated boat does not have permission to run in the water. The victims first contacted APTDC about the availability of a boat to go to sangam. But the APTDC authorities denied permission due to poor visibility. But the victims hired a private boat and began their journey to Sangam when the accident occurred.
The government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of each deceased and a committee consisting of an IAS and an IPS officers would be set up to prevent such incidents in future, the Chief Minister told the Assembly. (NSS