Bhubaneswar: Boatmen in villages and around the Chilika lake demonstrated on Monday demanding a roll back of the restrictions imposed on ferrying passengers in the lake by the Khurda district administration and the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) following a boat tragedy in July.

Operation of passenger boats in the lagoon was prohibited until their design and engines were certified by a naval architect after six people were killed in the accident on June 16.

Boat owners from Balugaon, Mathapur, Badakula and Samantrapur a demonstrated before the Wetland Research and Training Centre (WRTC) of the CDA in Barakul demanding that the boat services be restarted.

"The restriction has adversely affected our livelihood and many among us have started migrating to other places in search of jobs. We have been ferrying tourists for years and the boat mishap was merely an accident. The district administration must provide us an alternative if they don't want to resume the boat service," said Satyabana Behera, a boatman.

There are more than 1,100 passenger boats registered with the directorate of inland water transport under the department of commerce and transport. Around 300 of those boats ply in Khurda district while the rest operate in Puri district.

While the Khurda district has imposed restriction on boats, passenger boats in Puri continue to operate.

The boat accident in June took place when a boat with 18 people on it was on its way from Kalijai to Balugaon.

"If the Puri district administration has not imposed a similar restriction, then why are we being targeted? The Khurda district administration is acting harshly towards us. We would continue our agitation till the district administration allows us to ferry passengers," said Khirod Behera, another boatman.

Additional chief executive of the CDA Sasmita Lenka said the development authority would take up the matter with the Khurda district administration.