Kumarakom: Kerala's tourism department has installed global positioning system (GPS) units in 104 houseboats operating from Kumarakom. The move is intended to ensure the safety and security of tourists as well as to monitor the movement of the houseboats. The GPS facility has been installed free of cost by the department.
In case of an accident, the staff of the houseboat can press a panic button in the GPS unit, which will send an alert to the control room as well as to the boat owner. As there is a possibility of tourists inadvertently pressing the panic button, the control room will resort to follow-up action only after contacting the houseboat owner.
The main advantage of the GPS facility is that the houseboat nearest to the one which met with an accident could be identified and issued directions to carry out a rescue mission.
Also, even during a normal day, the owner will be able to track the location of his houseboat and verify whether it is visiting the scheduled tourist spots. He can also transport goods to the houseboats even while it is carrying service.
At present, only licensed houseboats have been installed with the GPS unit. The facility will be set up in all the 118 houseboats in Kumarakom as soon as they obtain license, said a tourism department official.
