Barisal Correspondent :Safe, comfortable and less costly river routes in Barisal zone have turned unsafe due to political turmoil and ill maintenances . The risk for water transport passengers has also increased after at least seven accidents happened in last four weeks killing atleast two passengers and injuring 100 others.Abul Bashar Majumdar, Deputy Director (River Safety and Traffic) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Barisal office, said BIWTA has already cancelled route permits of five vessels of the route.He mainly blamed operation of water transports by unskilled and inexperienced workers.Two passengers were killed and 20 others injured after MV Parabat-9 and MV Sundarban-8, two triple-deck passenger carrier water transports of Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal route collided in mid-river of Meghna on January 13, 2015 and Kocha River while the vessel plying on Hularhut-Kaukhali route on January 4, 2015.MV Bangali, a state-owned vessel of Bangladesh Water Transport Corporation, plying on Morelganj- Barisal-Dhaka route hit MV Tipu-7, a triple deck launch of private owners, plying on Dhaka-Barisal-Dhaka route on mid-Meghna River near Chandpur on December 28, 2014.The hit of MV Bangali has severely damaged part of the first floor of MV Tipu injuring at least four passengers and endangering lives of more than 1500 passengers of booth vessels.MV Sundarban-7, triple-deck launch on Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal route, was severely damaged and created panic after MV Bangali hit MV Sundarban-7 anchored at Barisal port December 26, 2014 morning.Triple-deck water transport MV Dwipraj plying on Barisal-Dhaka route with more than 800 hundred passengers capsized partly after hitting shore at Char Abdani on Kirtankhola River just few minutes after leaving Barisal port on December 26, 2014 night injuring four passengers on board.Besides, MV Parabat-9 stuck on shoal on Arialkha River near Hizla on December 19 and MV Ima plying on Ilisha-Mojuchowdhurirhut hitting and capsizing a trawler injured 4 on December 27, 2014.Around 500 passengers stranded as MV Shuvoraj-2, a Dhaka-bound triple deck launch from Hularhut of Pirojpur, stuck on shoal in the middle of Arial Kha River at Muladi upazila after engine went out of order and fuel ended on December 15, 2014 injuring ten passengers. Route permits of MV Parabat-9, MV Sundarban-8, MV Deepraj of Barisal-Dhaka Barisal route, MV Ranodut of Hularhut (Pirojpur)-Kaukhali, MV Shuvaraj-2 of Dhaka-Hularhut-Dhaka route has been cancelled for different types of faults, said the BIWTA official. Installation of hydraulic wheels and hauls, sonar and radar, powerful fog lights became compulsion on every water transport plying on long routes. Some of the vessels have also been installed those mechanised systems but most of them failed to deploy experienced manpower to use the installed facilities properly, BIWTA officials noticed.Abul Bashar Majumdar, Deputy Director (River Safety and Traffic) at BIWTA Barisal office, said operating water transports with trained experienced crews using modernised navigation tools, following weather condition and river traffic rules, sustainable and timely dredging of river routes only could ensure safer environment on river routes.
