Stopping of boats in Godavari: Tribals face problems

Rajamahendravaram: Four days after boat capsize incident in River Godavari at Vadapalli in West Godavari district,the district administration started to take up remedial measures. As per the directions of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, officials of ITDA Rampachodavaram are preparing estimations to lay road betweenKondamodalu and Devipatnam.

Due to lack of road facility, the tribals from 11 villages in that area were forced to use boats to come to Devipatnam and Polavaram on various works. For all these years, the ITDA project officers have never bothered to lay roads to connect interior places.

The officials wake up whenever an incident occurand later they forget. Meanwhile, operation of motor boats and launches were stalled in the wake of the boat capsize incident. With this, tribals living between Kondamodalu and Devipatnam are facing problems due to lack of transportation.

According to sources in Irrigation department, all the 68 launches and some motor boatswere stopped from moving inthe river. After getting new licences and completing the checking process, the boatsand launches will be permitted to move in the river.

The officials also banned offering Harathi to Godavari Matha at Pushkar Ghat. The Harathi programme is a regular ritual to be carried every day evening forone hour on the punti which was tied with ropes a few yards from the river bank.