The High Court issued directions on the maximum carrying capacity of boats in Kerala. (Representative)
Kochi:
The Kerala High Court on Friday issued directions to the government to ensure that boats plying in the state are not overloaded and prominently display the maximum carrying capacity on each vessel.
The court was hearing a PIL on the tragic boat accident at Tanur on May 7 in which 22 people, including 15 children, lost their lives.
A division bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Sophie Thomas noted that overloading was one of the major factors in a boat accident.
The court said, “…there is therefore no doubt in our mind that the fundamental imperative is to ensure that every boat in Kerala carries or is permitted to carry persons only up to the maximum capacity certified by the competent authority.”
The bench also directed that every boat should be asked to display a board at its prominent places, including points of entry and exit and also inside its cabin to show the maximum number of people.
The court has appointed senior advocate VM Shyamkumar as amicus curiae in this case.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)