Gujarat’s 50,000 boating families struggle as strict regulations take a toll
Updated: Feb 24th, 2025
After the horrific Harni boat accident that claimed the lives of 12 students and two teachers in Vadodara last year, the Gujarat government implemented strict regulations for boating activities.
This has affected around 50,000 families who rely on boating and fishing activities for their livelihood near religious sites .
On behalf of these families, a request has been made to the Gujarat government to relax these rules. One of the key regulations mandates that boat drivers (pilots) must obtain a licence.
However, there is no authority in Gujarat that provides such a licence, similar to how the RTO issues driving licences for vehicles. Additionally, a licence is required from boat manufacturers. In Gujarat, most boats operating near religious sites and used for fishing are sourced from the Alang shipyard.
These boats are originally manufactured in countries such as France or Italy. The major question is how would poor boat operators obtain a licence from these countries. Some boats are even handmade at the local level and do not have any institutional certification.
Apart from this, a fitness certificate for boats has been made mandatory, which must be obtained from a government-approved organisation at a high cost.
There are other requirements such as fire extinguishers, lifeboats, chains, anchor tests, annual surveys, monthly maintenance, maintenance-related photos and video documentation, insurance, and more.
These regulations have become a major burden on the poor and people engaged in the boating business. The rules are not only stringent but also said to be impractical.
According to former Vadodara mayor Dr Rajendra Singh Rathod, boating activities continue in Kevadia, Sabarmati, Dwarka, and Saputara. Boats also operate for pilgrimages to places like Shuklatirth and Kabirvad. He alleged that illegal collections (extortion) are prevalent in boats involved in river sand mining.
He has demanded that the government ease the regulations for small-scale boat operators to grant them approval, thereby alleviating the financial distress of 50,000 affected families.
Narmada river bank villages face economic hardships
In the villages along the Narmada river bank in Vadodara district, boats are a means of livelihood. However, following the boat tragedy at Harni Lake in Vadodara, there has been a year-long ban on boat operations.
This has severely impacted the livelihoods of over a thousand boatmen families in the pilgrimage sites of Chandod, Karnali, Shinor, Malsar, Nanderiya in Dabhoi taluka, and Nareshwar and Moti Koral in Karjan taluka. These families are facing unemployment, and the situation has deteriorated to the point where they are struggling to afford two meals a day.
Boatmen from the Chandod area state that they had purchased 850 life jackets and lifeguard rings a year ago and distributed them among the 103 boats in Chandod. However, the ban has not yet been lifted, leaving them unemployed.
Moreover, in Karjan taluka, boatmen report that the boat ferry service at Nareshwar, Moti Koral, and Kohona Ghat was banned after the Harni boat tragedy. This ban is still in effect, cutting off the boatmen families’ source of income.
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