M M Jasim, back from Munshiganj :
The ferry services on the Shimulia-Kathalbari river route has been suspended due to loss of navigability consequently people from 21 southern districts are suffering for long tailbacks.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) took the decision on Thursday.
The BIWTC officials said, there is no second route for ferry service. They said that the Project Director of the Padma Bridge requested the BIWTC to stop the ferry services as they were working to restore navigability in the area.
The Chairman of BIWTC Md Mafizul Hoque told The New Nation on Friday that ferry services on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route virtually remained shut in the past two days. “We have no second option than stopping the ferry service.
“We observed that the Shimulia-Kathalbari river route lost its navigability. It is now under the Padma Bridge Project. We stopped all ferry services as the project director requested,” he said.
The Chairman said, “There is no possibility to resume the ferry services before getting green signal from the Padma Bridge Project authorities.”
The sources of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said, the Padma Bridge Project authorities sent a letter to BIWTC to stop ferry services as well as launch and speedboats operation. But, the BIWTA gave permission to operate launch and speedboats considering the people’s sufferings.
BIWTA officials hoped that the ferry operation might resume today (Saturday).
Meanwhile, while visiting the Shimulia-Kathalbari area, this reporter noticed that several hundred stuck vehicles on both sides of the river and long tailbacks and causing untold sufferings to passengers.
Additional Chief Engineer of BIWTA Md Saidur Rahman told this correspondent yesterday that seven to eight feet water was required for the movement of ferries on the channel, but the depth was only 5 feet only. So, it was necessary to stop the service.
He said they have requested the vessels to take an alternative route. But the other option, known as Bikolpo channel, located one kilometre downstream from the main Louhajang point, is also unusable.
“The dredging is going on at Lauhajang turning point. It will be risk if we permit the ferry service to resume, as it has possibility to collide with the dredgers,” he said.
Sources said, at least on average 3,000 vehicles cross the river every day, adding that the pressure would now fall on Paturia ghat.
Meanwhile, more than 1000 vehicles, including goods-laden trucks remain stranded at the terminal.
Passengers and staff of the vehicles, which remained stuck in the long queue, were experiencing immense sufferings, including food shortage and inadequate toilets.
“I have been here for seven days and every morning I hope to get the ferry service to cross the Padma River, but the day ends with uncertainly and frustration,” said truck driver Monir Hossain.
His poultry feed-laden truck left Maona of Gazipur for Shariatpur on October 4 and got struck at Shimulia Ghat.
Kamrul Alam, a truck driver, said, he arrived at Shimulia Ghat on Thursday. But the authorities concerned stopped the ferry services without any notice.
“We didn’t come to the ghat if we knew the matter from before. I personally will be loser if the ferry takes more time to resume,” he said.
Shamsul Islam, a pssenger, told this correspondent that he was waiting in the ghat since Friday morning as nobody knows when ferry service resumes.
The highway police have asked the transport owners to use Paturia Ghat instead of Shimulia-Kawrakandi route for plying their vehicles on routes between Dhaka and southern districts.
The ferry services on the Shimulia-Kathalbari river route has been suspended due to loss of navigability consequently people from 21 southern districts are suffering for long tailbacks.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) took the decision on Thursday.
The BIWTC officials said, there is no second route for ferry service. They said that the Project Director of the Padma Bridge requested the BIWTC to stop the ferry services as they were working to restore navigability in the area.
The Chairman of BIWTC Md Mafizul Hoque told The New Nation on Friday that ferry services on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route virtually remained shut in the past two days. “We have no second option than stopping the ferry service.
“We observed that the Shimulia-Kathalbari river route lost its navigability. It is now under the Padma Bridge Project. We stopped all ferry services as the project director requested,” he said.
The Chairman said, “There is no possibility to resume the ferry services before getting green signal from the Padma Bridge Project authorities.”
The sources of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said, the Padma Bridge Project authorities sent a letter to BIWTC to stop ferry services as well as launch and speedboats operation. But, the BIWTA gave permission to operate launch and speedboats considering the people’s sufferings.
BIWTA officials hoped that the ferry operation might resume today (Saturday).
Meanwhile, while visiting the Shimulia-Kathalbari area, this reporter noticed that several hundred stuck vehicles on both sides of the river and long tailbacks and causing untold sufferings to passengers.
Additional Chief Engineer of BIWTA Md Saidur Rahman told this correspondent yesterday that seven to eight feet water was required for the movement of ferries on the channel, but the depth was only 5 feet only. So, it was necessary to stop the service.
He said they have requested the vessels to take an alternative route. But the other option, known as Bikolpo channel, located one kilometre downstream from the main Louhajang point, is also unusable.
“The dredging is going on at Lauhajang turning point. It will be risk if we permit the ferry service to resume, as it has possibility to collide with the dredgers,” he said.
Sources said, at least on average 3,000 vehicles cross the river every day, adding that the pressure would now fall on Paturia ghat.
Meanwhile, more than 1000 vehicles, including goods-laden trucks remain stranded at the terminal.
Passengers and staff of the vehicles, which remained stuck in the long queue, were experiencing immense sufferings, including food shortage and inadequate toilets.
“I have been here for seven days and every morning I hope to get the ferry service to cross the Padma River, but the day ends with uncertainly and frustration,” said truck driver Monir Hossain.
His poultry feed-laden truck left Maona of Gazipur for Shariatpur on October 4 and got struck at Shimulia Ghat.
Kamrul Alam, a truck driver, said, he arrived at Shimulia Ghat on Thursday. But the authorities concerned stopped the ferry services without any notice.
“We didn’t come to the ghat if we knew the matter from before. I personally will be loser if the ferry takes more time to resume,” he said.
Shamsul Islam, a pssenger, told this correspondent that he was waiting in the ghat since Friday morning as nobody knows when ferry service resumes.
The highway police have asked the transport owners to use Paturia Ghat instead of Shimulia-Kawrakandi route for plying their vehicles on routes between Dhaka and southern districts.
