CHENNAI: The coastal town of Pulicat, sandwiched between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is a fishing hamlet about 50km north of Chennai and is one of the little known tourist attracted destinations promoted by the Tamil Nadu tourism department.“Little has been done to promote the picturesque lake in the past years, which is also a reason for Sunday’s tragedy,” C H Sekar, DMDK MLA, representing the neighbouring Gummidipoondi constituency said.A total of 21 persons, of which 20 belonged to the same family from Gummidipoondi died after the boat they were in capsized in Pulicat Lake.“Despite Pulicat being identified as a tourist destination, necessary infrastructure was not in place...Proper licences were not issued for ferrying tourists by boats nor were safety jackets provided for the travellers,” he alleged.Sources said, boats are being operated to ferry tourists to the mouth of the lake, from where they can glimpse the Space Centre at Sriharikota, across the border.Even as people access the Pulicat seashore, thanks to the recently constructed flyover, many prefer to travel by boat, braving the sea.“The only solution to avert such accidents is to convert the Pulicat Lake into a tourist destination on the lines of Muttukadu located on the East Coast Road near Chennai,” Sekar said. “This would ensure safety for the tourists,” he said. Till then the State Government should ban the ferrying of tourists by boats, he urged.When contacted, a spokesperson for TN Tourism underlined that the responsibility for licensing boats was not the prerogative of the Tourism department.
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