KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the authorities to register all boats at the Keenjhar Lake and complete the work on jetties and towers. A division bench of the SHC issued these orders while hearing the petition filed regarding lack of safety measures at the lake. Sindh Culture Department submitted a report on the steps it has taken to ensure safety of tourists.

According to the report, CCTV cameras had been installed at the lake and a rescue centre established. Culture Department Managing Director (MD) Aijaz Shaikh said that they had also agreed on SOPs to prevent accidents. The boats would be allowed to cover a distance of two kilometers, and signboards had been placed near the lake too.

During the hearing, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that SOPs should be enforced. "Why haven't the boats been registered yet?" He remarked that innocent lives were lost in boat accidents. "We just want the area to become safe for tourists," he added. Justice Mazhar said that whatever had been mentioned in the report should be implemented and remarked that it was a matter of public interest so it should be completed at the earliest to save the lives of people.

The petition was filed on August 18 seeking to make the boat rides in Thatta safer a day after ten women and children from Karachi's Mehmoodabad locality had drowned in the Keenjhar Lake. There were a total of 14 passengers aboard when the boat overturned. The boatman, Abdul Jabbar, was arrested for his alleged negligence.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020