Boating services which came to a halt after the tragic death of 16 devotees last month at Kesi Ghat of Yamuna in Vrindavan, resumed with more than 100 boatmen being registered. The registration took place after boatmen complied with the norms set for the safety of visitors.
Chandra Prakash Singh, district magistrate, Mathura, handed over registration certificates and licences to boatmen at Kesi Ghat in Vrindavan, on Sunday.
“The boating facility had been halted for the last month after the death of 16 devotees from Ludhiana on April 10. Shortcomings were highlighted and it was found that rules and regulations for maintaining safety measures were not being complied with by boatmen,” the DM said.
“As such the total process was reviewed and to ensure compliance of safety measures we have outlined certain standards which includes making life jackets mandatory for boatmen and visitors availing boating facilities. The boatmen need to be trained and the boats used need to be strong enough to bear the load it carries.
“Lakhs of devotees reach Mathura and Vrindavan and repose trust in us, thus, we are responsible for their safety and security. The Mathura Vrindavan Nagar Nigam had laid down certain security norms to be complied with during boating on the Yamuna, in 2024, but were unfortunately not complied with.
{{/usCountry}}“Lakhs of devotees reach Mathura and Vrindavan and repose trust in us, thus, we are responsible for their safety and security. The Mathura Vrindavan Nagar Nigam had laid down certain security norms to be complied with during boating on the Yamuna, in 2024, but were unfortunately not complied with.
{{/usCountry}}“We are now not going to compromise with any security norms and registration was made mandatory for boatmen to get a licence for their boats. There was some resentment among boatmen over the registration charges, which were reviewed and rationalised and now registration fee for motorboats is ₹1,500 and for simple boats it is ₹500. With this, the boating facility has resumed at Kesi Ghat.
“We have clearly communicated about strict compliance, and both boatmen and visitors availing boat facilities will have to wear the standard life jackets. Boats are to undergo fitness checks. It is the livelihood for boatmen, thus, a rational approach has been adopted,” he added.
Shlok Kumar, SSP, Mathura, was with the DM as they both shared a ride on a boat at Kesi Ghat during the boat registration camp organised at Kesi Ghat. By Sunday evening, 400 forms had been purchased by boatmen and 135 boatmen were handed over registration certificates and licences.