More than 150 people joined a silent march around the Rabindra Sarobar premises on Sunday, demand-ing the resumption of rowing in the lake.On May 21, two teenage rowers had drowned in the lake after their boat toppled during a Nor’wester.
All rowing activities in the Sarobar have remained suspended since the accident. On Sunday, the marchers included veterans of the sport, young rowers, coaches and members of the rowing federation. The rally started around 6.30am and ended around 7.45am.
The issue of petrol rescue boats has stalled the resumption of rowing. While the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, the custodian of the Sarobar, had barred the use of petrol boats citing an order from the National Green Tribunal, the clubs have contended that electric boats are not fast enough to respond to a crisis, like the one that provedfatal on May 21.
Only petrol boats have that capability, they contended. “Police have agreed that electric boats are incapable of saving lives during an emergency. We are ready to resume rowing with all the safety protocols in place. Petrol-powered rescue boats won’t move around in the lake’s waters unnecessarily. They are only for emergency situations. But without a formal nod from the KMDA, we cannot move forward,” said Subhasish Dasgupta, president of the West Bengal Rowing Association. Dasgupta joined Sunday’s silent march.