Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the Jabalpur cruise tragedy in Madhya Pradesh that claimed 13 lives, the Odisha government on Sunday directed all boat operators to ensure adequate life-saving and fire safety equipment as per prescribed norms.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Principal Secretary of the Commerce & Transport Department, N.B.S. Rajput, where safety and security measures for boats operating in Odisha’s inland waters were reviewed.

Authorities have been instructed to carry out rigorous and surprise inspections. Strict action will be taken against operators found overloading vessels or failing to ensure mandatory use of life jackets by passengers and crew.

The government is already providing life-saving equipment such as lifebuoys, life jackets, and fire extinguishers under the ‘Sahid Baji Rout Noujatra Suraksha Yojana’. While government-operated boats receive these free of cost, private operators are provided the equipment at a 95 per cent subsidy.

Rajput also called for immediate and coordinated action among multiple departments, including Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Tourism, and Forest, Environment & Climate Change, to ensure strict compliance with safety norms.

The move comes after a tourist cruise boat capsized near Khamariya Island in Madhya Pradesh’s Bargi Dam on April 30, resulting in the death of 13 people.