It was erected to memorialise a traumatic event that has been deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of the region. Instead, the emotion it instigates now perhaps is a sense of shock.
As Kumarakom observes the 20th anniversary of one of the worst boat tragedies in Kerala, a multi-storey building constructed as a monument of the accident near the boat jetty here stands as a picture of neglect. Constructed at a cost of ₹50 lakh, the memorial has now turned into a haven for vandals.
In the absence of periodical maintenance, the offices of the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and the State Water Transport department (SWTD) that functioned here have been shifted to different locations. A proposal by the authorities to open a dormitory for boat passengers on its top floor has done little more than gather dust.
Official sources attribute the pathetic condition of the structure, which had also served as a restroom for commuters in the Kumarakom-Muhamma route, to a dispute between various departments. Maintenance of the structure, with a built-up area of 2,000 sq ft, was originally entrusted with the local panchayat.
“A dispute between the Kumarakom panchayat and the District Tourism Promotion Council over the monument was settled some six years ago following an intervention by the district administration. A detailed plan was prepared to restore the building with budget accommodation for tourists along with an information centre. However, the continuing neglect has made things worse,” said an official with the SWTD.
The panchayat authorities, however, promised swift action, saying a ₹10-lakh plan had already been prepared to restore the structure. “The renovation plan, slated to be executed in a few months, involve setting up of a modern cafeteria and a toilet complex that will serve the commuters and visitors alike,” said Dhanya Sabu, president, Kumarakom panchayat.
The Kumarakom boat tragedy, which took place on July 27, 2002, claimed 29 lives, including that of 15 women and a nine-month-old infant. An overloaded passenger boat operated by the SWTD which set off from Muhamma to Kumarakom in the morning capsized in the Vembanad lake. Several passengers aboard were on their way to attend a Public Service Commission examination.
