The Calcutta Rowing Club is set to buy two speedboats for rescue operations in the Rabindra Sarobar. The move follows the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT)'s statement on Monday that it had never banned operation of rescue boats in the Lake.
The eastern zone bench of the tribunal on Monday had rejected the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority's (KMDA) application seeking permission to issue a "no-objection certificate" to rowing clubs operating within Rabindra Sarobar to operate rescue boats with petrol engines, describing the application as “thoroughly misconceived”. Once the rescue boats are purchased, rowing classes will resume in the Lake.
According to Chandan Roychowdhury, secretary, Calcutta Rowing Club, “We plan to buy two boats. A meeting will be held on Wednesday.” Earlier, KMDA had moved an application after two students, while rowing, drowned in the lake on May 21, 2022 after being caught in a north westerly storm as their boat capsized; and no rescue boat was available. Apparently, a senior KMDA official earlier wrote to the clubs prohibiting plying of petrol and diesel boats in the lake referring to NGT order and norms.
Subsequently, many — including family members and friends of the deceased — claimed that availability of such high-speed petrol or diesel run boats could possibly rescue the drowned boys quicker than it ultimately happened; and possibly might have saved their lives. After the May 21 incident, rowing was stopped till the safety protocols were met.
Roychowdhury hailed the judgment. KMDA will soon set up a special committee to resolve the matter.
