Andhra Pradesh: Tourism department gears up to resume boat services to Papikondalu from June end

The Andhra Pradesh tourism department is gearing to resume Papikondalu boat services to cater for tourists. Earlier, the authorities conducted a boat trail run on April 15 to start the boat voyages as early as last month. However, the boat services came to a halt with the second phase of the covid boom. Tourism officials are arranging to run boat services from the end of June as the covid‌ second wave is currently declining. If the covid Second Wave completely recedes, boat services suspended for about 19 months after the boat accident at Kachchuluru will resume.

The government has imposed strict regulations after the Kachuluru boat accident. The state government has set up control rooms at Polavaram, Singannapalli and Velerupadu, Perantalapally, to ensure safe boat travel. Rs 22 lakh has been allocated for each control room. Police, Revenue and Irrigation Departments staff have been appointed to oversee the boat voyages. Steps have been taken to make CCTV cameras mandatory for boats travelling on the Godavari River. In addition, arrangements have been made to set up a GPS to know the boat's location from time to time through the control room.

We are arranging to launch boat services at the hands of Tourism Minister Muthamsetti Srinivas by the end of this month after the Kovid decline, said AL Malreddy, Executive Director, AP Tourism.