Residents of tourist spot ferry sans safety

Nellore: Even as the state government has been insisting for permissions and safety gear for travelling in canals and rivers, hundreds of people, who reside in Irukkam Island located in Pulicat Lake have been travelling pathetically every day without any safety gear. Though the government has been making the areas as sightseeing places in the district there was no focus on providing amenities to this isolated area that appears on the district map.

According local population, around 3,000 people reside in the island located amid Pulicat Lake and they rely boats for transport as there is no road connectivity. Even though, they were asking for some support from the government there was no adequate facility for safe travel. Irukkam Island can be reached from Beemunivari Palem on the National Highway-16 where a passenger ferry is available for travelling around 14 km to reach the habitation. It takes around one-and-a-half hour depending on wind flow.

Though, it is a paradise for sightseers it has many problems such as unsafe travel coupled with lack amenities. “Even employees are posted to our village, they don’t accept the transfer and go on leave. They mount pressure on top officials and politicos and prefer another place. The only reason is risky travel every day and sometimes it becomes dangerous during cyclones and depressions,” said Armugam from the island.

The 18,440-hectare Pulicat lagoon, which runs parallel to the Bay of Bengal across the Tamil Nadu-AP border, is the second largest brackish water lagoon in the country. The Lake is fed by River Kalangi and River Arani and the lagoon is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a barrier island which is the Sriharikota.

The Pulicat Lake has a rich history with people of many countries harbouring the place. In the 13th century, Arabs who were banished from Mecca were said to have migrated here. Some houses belonging to these Arabians are still found in the region. Similarly, in the 16th century, the Portuguese colonised the lake which was later taken over by the Dutch. Fort Geldria, a relic of the Dutch which is now under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), can also be visited in its vicinity.

The Island located in the middle of the lake falling under Tada Mandal and people have to travel by ferries without any safety gear such as life jackets. Even, tourists also travel in such dangerous conditions without any security despite it is being considered for development as an important tourism destination in the district. Electricity is a costly affair for the residents of this island and majority rely on solar power.

Accidents are also common as a boat capsized in 2011 in the location falling under the Tamil Nadu in which more than 20 people drowned in the lake. Only 2 boats were serving needs of around 3,000 population. There are only three trips in the morning at 8 am, 2 pm in the afternoon and the last one at 4 pm. “For any delivery or medical emergency, people must engage a boat by paying Rs 1,200 to 1,500 to reach Tada.

Even medical staff are also not vising the island regularly and it is almost twice or thrice in a week. No boats were also allocated for medical emergencies by the ZP which was promised last year,” says Sundaram, a resident of the island. It may be recalled that Zilla Parishad assured that it would arrange an ambulance boat for the benefit of people living at Irakkam Island.

ZP Chairman B Raghavendra Reddy revealed this during a programme held at ZP office and also said they would provide two ferry boats for carrying 150 students going to school from the island every day. But, the promises have not been converted as reality till now. “Though it was announced earlier no boat has been arranged by the ZP till now. It is the decision of the ZP and we were not informed about the development,” said T Ramanaiah, MPDO.

By P V Prasad