The Hindu Business Line : KSINC steel boats set to carry passengers in backwaters

KERALA Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation Ltd (KSINC), a State Government undertaking, is all set to deliver a fleet of newly constructed steel passenger-boats built for the State Water Transport Department.

KSINC has successfully carried out the trial run of the first boat in the backwaters after necessary inspections by the Deputy Conservator of the Kochi Port. The boat will be handed over to the SWTD with canal and port licences at a function to be held soon.

Mr K.N. Satheesh, Managing Director, KSINC, said that the Corporation has been awarded the contract for building and supply of 11 steel boats at a cost of Rs 36.5 lakh each and 10 Fibre boats for the SWTD.

Out of the 11 boats, five are being now completed at the company's Slipway Complex near the Fishing Harbour at Thoppumpady and will be delivered by the middle of next month. The remaining boats will be handed over within four months, he said.

The Director of the SWTD, Mr L. Mohan Kumar, who was also present during the trial run, told Business Line that seven boats would be deployed in Ernakulam sector and the remaining four are proposed to be inducted in Alappuzha-Kollam sector. At present, the department has got 12 boats and operations of these boats are not economical as they are outdated and obsolete.

Once the vehicular traffic through the Goshree Bridges starts in full swing, he said there would be a shortfall in the passenger traffic in SWTD boats between Ernakulam-Vypeen sector. To cope up with the situation, the department is planning to operate more boats in the Mattanchery and Fort Kochi sector.

Moreover, a speedboat service with a capacity of 100 passengers between Thoppum- pady and Ernakulam has also been proposed by the SWTD to ease the traffic congestions in the city roads.

It had approached the Tourism Department for the construction of a new jetty at Thoppumpady where the Department has an old jetty. Lot of activities including dredging had to be carried out before commencing the speedboat service, he added.

The steel boats, with 100-passenger capacity, are of 20-metre length, five metres width and about 1.5 metres depth. The hull and deck is constructed with best quality steel plates where as the super structure is built in marine plywood sheathed with fibre. Each boat is fitted with hydraulic gearbox and hydraulic steering for better manoeuvrability and easier control. The boats having a draft of about 0.8 metres can be operated in shallow waters and also fitted with echo sounder to find the depth.

The boat is divided into five watertight compartments longitudinally, thereby saving the boat in case of water entry due to any accident like collision or grounding. The marine engine and other machineries are in a separate enclosed compartment to reduce the noise in the passenger area.

The passenger seats built in aluminium frame are of cushioned type covered with quality hylum sheets ensuring maximum comfort to passengers. Instead of the conventional roof top wheel house, these boats are having the wheel house in the front portion with all steering light and engine controls, thereby enabling the SWTD to reduce the staff strength by one from the present four.