Two days after former India cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly’s brother and his wife had a narrow escape when their speedboat overturned in Odisha, the Puri district administration on Tuesday razed the makeshift office and counter of the boating operator.
The district administration also launched an investigation by Puri’s Sub-Collector to ascertain if there was any negligence on the part of the operator.
Puri collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said that as per the preliminary investigation, the boat operator had been operating at a crowded beach, where the tides are generally very high, despite having a licence to operate the speedboating facility at a different location in a low-tide area.
“We will soon cancel the licence. Also, if we will find out if there was any criminal negligence, and we will take action as per law,” Swain told reporters.
On Sunday, Snehasish Ganguly and wife, Arpita, were part of a group engaged in some water sports activities when their speedboat overturned. Video footage of the mishap showed lifeguards on the beach trying to rescue the tourists.
Arpita told the media that the sea was rough and boat operators allowed fewer people on the boat than its total capacity, making it light and causing it to tip over.
A high wave hit the boat, causing it to turn, she said. “Had they allowed more people on the boat, it wouldn’t have flipped. A lifeguard saved me. I have never faced anything like this before, and I am still in trauma,” she said.
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Puri attracts lakhs of visitors every year, and a large number of them visit the beach. According to a written reply submitted by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the state Assembly in March, Puri and other beaches in Odisha reported as many as 47 cases of drowning over the last five years.