Pokhara, August 11

Last Monday, a boat carrying eight persons capsized in the Phewa Lake. The vessel was too small to accommodate eight persons at one go, What’s worse, the persons on board were without life jacket.

As the boatmen on the banks learnt about the mishap on time they rescued six of them. Bodies of the remaining two, who were missing, were found drifting on the lake today.

Earlier, the local administration had awakened to the risk of boating on the lake after five persons lost their lives in a boat accident in Begnas Lake back in 2013.

Following the accident, a code of conduct were devised with the initiatives of then chief district officer Yadav Prasad Koirala.

As per the code, boats operating on the lakes of Kaski were allowed to carry a load of up to 300 kg. Up to five Nepalis or four foreigners could ride a boat. Similarly, life jacket was made compulsory.

To make sure the code was followed, fines were also introduced. A boatman flouting the rule would have be fined 1,000 rupees the first time and additional 1,000 rupees for each offence up to third time. In case a boatman flouted the rule the fourth time, his boat would be confiscated.

Before 2013, on an average 15 persons had drowned in Phewa and Begnas lakes every year.

After the code of conduct was introduced, accidents declined. “

However, with lack of regular monitoring and carelessness on the part of boatmen and passengers, boat accidents have started recurring. Therefore, everyone must be careful,” Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Mainali of Kaski, said.

Though the entrepreneurs operating boats here have enough life jackets, in the case of boats operated by private owners and hotels there are no life jackets, which compromises the safety of passengers, said Mainali.

Tourism entrepreneur Ganesh Bahadur Bhattarai suggested that passengers should be careful about the condition of the boat and its capacity. He also suggested that boat operators pay attention to passengers’ safety by managing enough life jackets.

A ‘lake watch and rescue tower’ was erected on the banks of the lake about three years ago with a view to minimising accidents. The tower has a team of armed police force on standby for possible rescue operations round-the-clock.

A motorboat and tubes are ready for any rescue operation. Ever since the tower was set up, as many as 118 persons including 37 women have been rescued from the lake.

According to Armed Police Kalika Battalion DSP Rajesh Kharel, seven persons have died in the lake over the years since the tower was built. Now, armed police force has trained divers. From the observation post perched on the top of the 32 -feet high tower, the rescue team observes activities on the lake with binoculars.