The statement of shipping people and launch owners also amounts to an unconditional capitulation to the vagaries of nature. They have, in effect, admitted that they are not capable of solving the problems and drawbacks of the existing river communication system.

More than 4,000 people have died in launch accidents in the last decade with the number of fatalities reaching as high as 500 in three major accidents in last year alone. The shipping minister, however, doesn't see anything beyond his 'bad luck' in the series of mishaps.

It seems the government having failed to secure the compliance of launch operators with the safety standards, have decided to shut their eyes to the fundamental drawbacks of the existing river traffic system. Only that can explain why even they are now resorting to a fatalistic acceptance of the disasters.

The flaws that have been detected by the experts are far too many. The launches have faulty designs, and it is reported that owners get the designs approved through bribing after building the launches and not before embarking on the project. There is no effective signalling system and the crew are often untrained and unskilled. These along with overloading make the launches doubly vulnerable to capsize.

So the ploy of downplaying the accidents and terming press reports as being exaggerated sounds ridiculous. This attempt to make short shrift of the fatal accidents is indefensible, outrageous and totally untenable.

The authorities are not expected to trifle with an issue as serious as launch accidents. The government should act with a sense of urgency and devise ways and means to enforce the navigational rules. It has to come down heavily on the corrupt practices that are responsible for the vulnerability of launches.