Overview
- A private tourist boat developed a technical snag on June 12 that left 89 passengers stranded about 1 km from the Gandiposamma/Gandipochamma boarding point before they were transferred to a second vessel and returned to shore.
- Rampachodavaram authorities formed an inquiry committee of Revenue, Irrigation, Tourism and Police officials to determine the cause and probe any breaches of operating rules.
- Officials launched a coordinated, week-long safety audit involving Tourism, Revenue, Police, Forest and Water Resources departments and ordered mock drills and a joint inspection report before permitting boats to resume service.
- About 34 private tourism boats serving Papikondalu have suspended operations during the review, but services that enter via Kunavaram from Bhadrachalam in Telangana remain unaffected for now.
- Preliminary accounts differ on the proximate cause—police cited a possible connecting-bolt failure while other officials reported a rope caught in the propeller—and operators warn the sudden stoppage will force refunds and want clearer operating procedures.