Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A tragedy foretold: on the boat accident in Kerala and lapses

A tragedy foretold: on the boat accident in Kerala and lapses

Kerala should ensure the maritime (समुद्री) board is able to enforce regulations

Every time a boat capsizes in Kerala, where inland (अंतर्देशीय, गैर-तटीय) cruise (समुद्री पर्यटन) tourism is flourishing largely unregulated (unrestricted, unchecked, uncontrolled), the familiar refrain is that it was a tragedy waiting to happen. The boat that sank in the Poorapuzha estuary (a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean; river mouth, inlet, waterway) in Tanur municipality on Sunday evening, killing 22 people, 15 of them children, was packed with local tourists to twice its capacity and was not cleared for post-dusk operations. It remains unclear how a fishing boat fitted with an upper deck received clearance, if at all it did, to conduct inland tourist operations. Rescue (बचाव) workers, most of them fishermen, sustained (suffer, endure, undergo, experience) injuries from the broken glass panels that covered the windows on its lower deck where most victims had got trapped (फँसना, जाल). The Kerala government has ordered a judicial inquiry, with the support of experts, into the accident and the police have arrested the owner of the vessel (ship, yacht, boat).

It was just a month ago that international disaster management expert Muralee Thummarukudy issued a prescient (predictive, visionary, far-sighted) warning, which sounds (appear, look, seem) eerie (भयानक) in hindsight, of an imminent (close at hand, approaching, forthcoming, coming, coming soon, about to happen) houseboat tragedy in Kerala with at least 10 casualties. The cautionary (चेतावनीपूर्ण) note flagged (indicate, point out, identify; draw attention to something) the absence of crew (कर्मी दल, चालकदल) training, sparse (inadequate, scanty, paltry, insufficient, meagre, deficient, negligible, insubstantial, small) availability and use of safety material such as life vests, lack (कमी, अभाव) of on-board briefing (instructions, directions or guidelines) of guests and erratic (अनियमित, असंगत) renewal of operational licence and enforcement (प्रवर्तन, आरोपण) thereon. Inquiring into the Thekkady boat capsize (cause (a boat) to overturn, turn upside down, bottom up, upset, flip over (in the water)), in 2009, the worst Kerala has seen with 45 casualties, the former judge, E. Moideen Kunju, had recommended expeditious (शीघ्र, तेज) formation of a maritime board to regulate water transport. The Kerala Maritime Board was formed in 2017 by merging the Directorate of Ports, Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation Limited, and the Kerala Maritime Society. But the police investigation in the case dragged on, with a second charge sheet (आरोप पत्र) filed 10 years after the accident. The trial (परीक्षण, जाँच) has not begun yet. As per official data, 3,213 inland vessels are in operation in Kerala’s numerous waterways, but industry insiders (a member of any group of people of limited number and generally restricted access; member, staff member, employee) give a ballpark (approximate, general/basic, unspecific) figure of about 4,000 vessels, also counting the unlicensed ones. The maritime board, vested with the responsibility to ensure the fitness, licensing and safe operation of all tourist vessels in Kerala including houseboats, is short of (less than) adequate manpower to carry out its job. It has no enforcement wing to keep a tab on errant (भटकनेवाला) vessels including those that dodge (avoid, circumvent, escape, sidestep) periodic renewal of licence. Boat tourism holds tremendous potential (prospects, possibilities, potentiality) in a State lined (border, bound, position) with waterways, but to be able to reap (receive, obtain, realize; get) its benefits, the safety of the people using it should be given top priority. The government should expeditiously (instantly, promptly, immediately, quickly; swiftly) arm the maritime board with the wherewithal (money, finances, resources, funds; means, ability, capability (required to accomplish a task or purpose)) to carry out enforcement. This will ensure that erring officials are taken to task and not just the boat crew and managers.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.maritime (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - समुद्री
English Meaning - of or related to the sea.

2.inland (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर्देशीय, गैर-तटीय
English Meaning - non-coastal, inshore, internal.

3.cruise (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समुद्री पर्यटन
English Meaning - voyage, journey, travel.

4.rescue (noun as modifier)

Hindi Meaning - बचाव
English Meaning - saving

5.trap (verb)

Hindi Meaning - फँसना, जाल
English Meaning - get stuck, get caught.

6.eerie (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भयानक
English Meaning - strange, abnormal, unnatural, weird, bizarre.

7.cautionary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चेतावनीपूर्ण
English Meaning - frightening, intimidating, alarming, warning.

8.crew (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कर्मी दल, चालकदल
English Meaning - unit, team, employees, workers, staff, a group of people (working on a ship/aircraft).

9.lack (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कमी, अभाव
English Meaning - unavailability, non-existence, absence.

10.erratic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनियमित, असंगत
English Meaning - inconsistent, irregular, random.

11.enforcement (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवर्तन, आरोपण
English Meaning - imposition, implementation, execution, carrying out.

12.expeditious (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - शीघ्र, तेज
English Meaning - speedy, quick, rapid, swift.

13.charge sheet (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप पत्र
English Meaning - an official document on which a police officer enters details of the charge against a person.

14.trial (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परीक्षण, जाँच
English Meaning - court case, lawsuit, hearing, inquiry, litigation, judicial/legal proceedings, legal action.

15.errant (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भटकनेवाला
English Meaning - troublesome, erring, unmanageable, bad.

16.foretold past and past participle of foretell (verb)

English Meaning - predict, foresee, anticipate, expect.

17.lapse (noun)

English Meaning - failure, mistake, blunder, oversight.

18.capsize (verb)

English Meaning - cause (a boat) to overturn, turn upside down, bottom up, upset, flip over (in the water).

19.flourish (verb)

English Meaning - thrive, develop, prosper (successfully).

20.unregulated (adjective)

English Meaning - unrestricted, unchecked, uncontrolled.

21.refrain (noun)

English Meaning - something that is repeated.

22.estuary (noun)

English Meaning - a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean; river mouth, inlet, waterway.

23.post-dusk (adjective)

English Meaning - post-sunset

24.if at all (phrase)

English Meaning - it indicates that something is unlikely to happen, or rarely happens, and that it will occur in a negative or restricted way if it does happen.

25.sustain (verb)

English Meaning - suffer, endure, undergo, experience.

26.vessel (noun)

English Meaning - ship, yacht, boat.

27.prescient (adjective)

English Meaning - predictive, visionary, far-sighted.

28.sound (verb)

English Meaning - appear, look, seem.

29.in hindsight (phrase)

English Meaning - considering the past with consideration of the present/current knowledge.

30.imminent (adjective)

English Meaning - close at hand, approaching, forthcoming, coming, coming soon, about to happen.

31.casualty (noun)

English Meaning - victim, fatality, mortality, loss, death.

32.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point out, identify; draw attention to something.

33.sparse (adjective)

English Meaning - inadequate, scanty, paltry, insufficient, meagre, deficient, negligible, insubstantial, small.

34.life vest (noun)

English Meaning - life jacket; protective clothing.

35.on board (phrase)

English Meaning - on a boat, train, or aircraft.

36.briefing (noun)

English Meaning - instructions, directions or guidelines.

37.drag on (phrase)

English Meaning - continue, persist, linger, carry on.

38.insider (noun)

English Meaning - a member of any group of people of limited number and generally restricted access; member, staff member, employee.

39.ballpark (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - approximate, general/basic, unspecific.

40.be vest with (verb)

English Meaning - give or provide (someone) the legal right to power.

41.short of (phrase)

English Meaning - less than.

42.keep tabs on (phrase)

English Meaning - watch/observe the activities of; or keep an eye on development of something.

43.dodge (verb)

English Meaning - avoid, circumvent, escape, sidestep.

44.hold (verb)

English Meaning - posses, have.

45.potential (noun)

English Meaning - prospects, possibilities, potentiality.

46.line (verb)

English Meaning - border, bound, position.

47.reap (verb)

English Meaning - receive, obtain, realize; get.

48.expeditiously (adverb)

English Meaning - instantly, promptly, immediately, quickly; swiftly.

49.wherewithal (noun)

English Meaning - money, finances, resources, funds; means, ability, capability (required to accomplish a task or purpose).

50.take to task (phrase)

English Meaning -reprimand, reprove, rebuke, admonish, censure, castigate, criticize, pull up; punish, penalize, take disciplinary action against.