Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
With the opening of the Padma Bridge to traffic on Sunday, the ferries at the Shimulia Ghat are now anchored because no individual or vehicle will visit the Ghat anymore for crossing the turbulent Padma River.
All the vehicles are now heading towards the Padma Bridge which has shortened the journey time and the sufferings of people’s waiting for hours to cross the river.
On the other hand, the traffic flow on the Paturia-Daulatdia river route has also been drastically reduced on Sunday as most of the vehicles prefer the Padma Bridge to avoid the hours of journey through this route.
Shimulia Ghat authority of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said that eight of their ferries had been anchored on the Shimulia Ghat as no vehicles arrived in the Ghat on Sunday to cross the river.
“We have our ferries ready at the Shimulia Ghat. But no vehicles arrive today as the Padma bridge is now open,” Ahmed Ali, BIWTC Official at Shimulia Ghat told the New Nation.
However, the Ghat authority doesn’t know what they will do with the ferries until new instructions come.
“We cannot keep the eight ferries anchored for indefinite period. The ferries need huge amount of money for their maintenance. Immediate decision is necessary to keep the ferries active,” Ali added.
The Mawa ferry Ghat was set up in Lauhajanj upazila of Munshiganj district in 1986. When the Padma bridge construction work began, the Ghat was shifted to Shimulia for carrying people and vehicles to the other bank in Shariatpur distirct.
Before opening the Padma Bridge, thousands of people and vehicles used to arrive at the Shimulia Ghat in Munshiganj and Majhirghat, Kanthalbari Ghat in Shariatpur district to cross the mighty Padma River.
People were seen waiting for hours at these Ghats before the arrival of the ferries. Business activities used to go on day and night. Small shops and restaurants were full of people either sipping tea or chewing betel nuts or eating meals.
Thousands of people were engaged in various economic activities centering these Ghats. Many of the families were dependent for their income from these Ghats. But now the Padma Bridge has left many of them to think to change their previous jobs and businesses.
Some of the shopkeepers were passing time in leisure at the Majhirghat area on Sunday where there were no ferries at the Ghat.
Didar Ahmed, who had a shop at the Majhirghat for 15 years, said, “I have doing business for 15 years here. I had a good sale every day. But I don’t have much sale now after opening the Padma Bridge.”
Another shop owner of Al-Amin Store said, “I used to sell products worth of Tk10,000-Tk12,000. Now I don’t have sale.” They said that they have to think of how to run their shops as the Ghats will have no use anymore in the upcoming days. Meanwhile, the traffic pressure on the Paturia-Daulatdia river route has been decreased since the opening of the Padma Bridge which is connecting 21 South and Southwestern districts.
“The traffic movement on this route is normal. There was no pressure of the small vehicles. We are carrying the vehicles without any pressure,” Deputy General Manager of BTWTC Aricha Ghat Shah Md.Khaled Newaz told the New Nation. “As the Padma Bridge has opened, the pressure has reduced. We can get better understanding of the pressure of vehicles after one week. No vehicles are waiting for hours now,” he added.
He also said that they have now 21 ferries to carry people and vehicles on the Paturia-Daulatdia river route and they will increase the number of ferries to 22 for the smooth journey during Eid-ul-Azha.
The Padma Bridge has opened a new horizon of opportunity for the people of the Southern region and it will act as the economic corridor for all.
But at the same time, many of the people who ran their jobs and businesses at the ghats have to think anew how they will cope with the change.
