Staff Reporter :
Daulatdia-Paturia ferry terminals are under serious threat as erosion has devoured a large portion of the Padma River banks during the last few days.
The landing stations at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari and at the Paturia in Manikganj were changed several times in the past, as the erosion devoured those stations during the monsoon.
It is feared the situation of these two landing stations may take a serious turn this time as a vast area is apprehended to be eroded during the monsoon.
During the monsoon last year, all its four landing stations were affected badly several times, causing untold sufferings to the people of 21 south and southwestern districts as they use these two ferry terminals to cross the mighty River Padma.
Thousands of people to and from capital Dhaka and south and southwestern districts travelling through this route have to wait at both the terminals for hours to get ferries as the landing stations go out of service during the full monsoon.
Ferry services on the river route often remain suspended due to inclement weather as well as the turbulent Padma River.
A long tailback of vehicles prevails on both sides of the Padma River every day during the monsoon. “Most of the time, we have to suffer while travelling through the route,” a passenger said.
Local people said Daulatdia ferry ghat in Goalunda upazila of Rajbari would go into the River Padma if the authorities concerned do not take necessary steps immediately to check river erosion.
“As the Daulatdia ferry terminal is situated at the mouth of the two major rivers — Padma and Jamuna –, it is under serious threat of being eroded. Some areas have already been devoured. It is urgently needed to take effective step to protect the terminal to continue the ferry service,” Nijam Uddin Pathan, Executive Engineer of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) at Daulatdia ferry terminal told The New Nation on Saturday afternoon.
He said the landing stations No 3 and 4 are seriously under threat as the approach road of these ferry terminals have not been completed yet.
“Earlier, a decision was taken in this regard at an Inter-Ministerial meeting of the Shipping Ministry to prepare the approach road of landing stations No 3 and 4. But the Roads and Highway Department, assigned to prepare the approach road before the monsoon, has failed to do so due to what they termed ‘complications’,” he said.
He said the landing station No 2 remains protected and they are working round the clock to save it from the river erosion.
