River safety training organised for Jalosathis

KOLKATA: The state Transport department organised river safety training programme for Jalosathis who will be deployed at jetties to avert accident.

It may be mentioned that the state government had introduced the Jalodhara scheme to replace the semi-mechanised vessels with a proper design and registration.

At the same time, steps were taken to improve the infrastructure of the jetting following a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) besides engaging two trained Jalosathis in each jetty to ensure that no accident takes place.

The step has been taken following the Telenipara incident in which some people were killed after a temporary jetty had collapsed.

A total of 626 Jalosathis has been engaged and they will be undergoing training at Police Training College (PTC) in Barrackpore. At present, 100 of them are undergoing training at PTC.

The main task of the Jalosathis is to ensure that the SOP is followed at the jetties.

The jetties where Jalosathis will be initially deployed include 28 in Hooghly, 60 in North 24-Parganas, 16 in Howrah, 12 in South 24-Parganas and 11 at jetties of the West Bengal Transport Corporation.

Besides keeping a tab to check overloading of vessels by passengers, they have to take necessary steps to save others in case there is any emergency.

At the same time, they also have to ensure that all passengers put on safety jackets before getting on to the vessel and they would also inform concerned authorities in case the area is not properly illuminated or if there is lack of any infrastructure.