Two fibre-glass motor boats acquired by the state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) five years ago for rescue of passengers in any emergency at Lakshadweep’s Agatti airport — in case of any aircraft plunge into the sea — are lying unused at the Agatti seashore.
The AAI-operated Agatti airport and its runway, situated in the Arabian Sea 245 nautical miles west of Kochi, are surrounded by the sea on three sides, one of the main reasons why operational readiness of modern rescue boats becomes all the more important.
Following the Mangalore air-crash, worried AAI officials at Agatti airport have now advised the AAI top brass that the AAI should consider signing a memorandum with the Lakshadweep Islands administration for operation of the boats. AAI officials wrote to the AAI headquarters in New Delhi this month saying the boats should immediately be made operational in the light of the fact that operation of these is vital whenever flight operations are on.
It was pointed out that the boats were lying on the seashore with only a few of its components covered. This raises the spectre of damage to the unused boats.
AAI officials in Agatti also pointed out that the Lakshadweep administration, in any case, currently operates patrol boats around the islands which indicates that it would be possible for the island administration to operate these boats. This would also probably save the AAI the costs of maintenance of the boats.
It was stated by officials that the boats would need separate propelling and launch into the sea water before operating these. It has therefore been suggested that hiring of local people for operation of the boats will also boost employment among the locals who have an in-depth knowledge of the region’s topography.
The exotic Lakshadweep islands, a Union territory, form a popular tourism destination for both Indian and foreign tourists, with Agatti airport being the entry point to the islands for flights.