Crackdown on unfit river vessels

IT is the same old story all over again. After Thursday's launch disaster on the Buriganga, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has decided to go once more into enforcing the rules that should apply to normal movement on the rivers. Any enforcement of rules is certainly to be welcomed. But what becomes rather galling for people is stumbling anew on a determination of the authorities to take launch owners and operators to task only after a fresh accident on the rivers. For a few days, there is much emphasis on such river vessels not being allowed to ply without proper documents and the like, which of course is accompanied by images of launches being subjected to rigorous inspection. Such seasonal activities are normal in this country. What is beyond the normal is that these activities invariably whimper into silence, until a new tragedy occurs.
The BIWTA has tried giving us the impression that it will strictly enforce the rules from here on, meaning that no river vessel will operate unless its papers are in order. In principle, there is hardly any disagreement with the BIWTA here. The question, though, is whether the organisation has the will or the manpower to stick to its position. As matters stand, there is a whole array of agencies now involved in such matters as licensing of river vessels. How they pass the stages like cakewalk is anybody's guess. Obviously, with such a wide range of authorities, it is perfectly understandable that vessel owners can easily slip by and have their vessels ply on the routes without fear of legal action. It is here that a streamlining in river administration becomes necessary. Then again, beyond the issue of proper documents comes the need for a change in behaviour on the part of launch owners and operators. Take, for instance, the abnormal number of passengers who travel on the launches and lack of safety gears to go with it. That is a sheer flouting of rules that has regularly been ignored by the authorities. Again, the sight of dilapidated launches is a fairly common one throughout the country. It is these realities that must be taken care of.
A crackdown on unfit launches is welcome. But whether it is a sustained effort is something we will have to see.