The AP Tourism Development Corporation and private operators have been permitted to operate boat services between Perantalapalli and Papikonda hill range on the Godavari from Sunday.
At a late-night meeting here on Friday, East Godavari Collector Ch. Hari Kiran said that a total of 11 boats had been permitted to resume tourist services to the Papikonda hill range.
APTDC will run two boats – Haritha and Sir Arthur Cotton – while the rest will be operated by private players.
SP M. Raveendranath Babu, Irrigation Superintending Engineer (Dowleswaram circle) B. Rambabu and Kakinada Port Officer G.V. Raghavarao explained the security and navigational precautions to the operators.
Precautions
“On every trip, a pilot boat comprising swimmers will have to guide the tourist boats. At least three to five boats should go into the waters in a row to be guided by the pilot boat. The boat operators should communicate their status at every check-post,” said Mr. Hari Kiran.
The boat operators need to submit an affidavit to the police and revenue officials on compliance with all the safety measures.
The Collector said that control rooms had been set up recently with necessary equipment and technology for rescue operations.
Trial run
The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Rampachodavaram) authorities led by Joint Collector (Welfare) A. Bhargava Teja on Saturday reviewed the trial run of the boat services at Gandi Posamma boating point in Rampa agency.
Mr. Bhargava Teja, ITDA Project Officer C.V. Praveen Adithya and other officials enquired about the safety measures and facilities in the boats.
The trial run had been successful without any barrier in the navigational direction and communication to the check-posts.
The State government suspended boat services to the Papikonda hill range following a boat capsize in which 46 tourists died at Kutchuluru in East Godavari district in September 2019.
In 2021, the State government formulated a new policy on boating services, including tourist boats. The boat services to the Papikonda hills were resumed this summer but had to be stopped again due to floods in the Godavari.
