Anisur Rahman Swapan . Barisal
Navigation on almost all the river and coastal routes in the southern region has become risky as most of the marking signs on the routes remain inoperative.
Almost all the beacon lights and buoys on 40 routes in the region have gone out of order, threatening safe movement of vessels, some masters said.
‘We ply vessels on the costal routes at high risk as a large number of shoals have emerged on the routes’, Abdul Mannan, a master of a river vessel, said.
The Barisal Launch Owners’ Association vice-chairman, Khorshed Alam, said currently only seven routes out of 40 are worth movement of vessels.
Marking signs like beacon lights and buoys are hardly found on the remaining 33 routes, badly hampering safe movement of vessels, he added.
BIWTA sources said 180km-long Dhaka-Barisal and 261 km-long Barisal-Chittagong route include 90km sea and coastal water ways.
There are no buoys and beacon lights at Patarhut, Char Birbiri, Patar Char, Ramgoti, Char Hakim, Ludia, Ghashiar Char
and other points, sources said.
Besides, the marking signs lie inoperative at Sayestabad, Potkar Char, Char Bamni, Mallikpur, Ghashiar Char, Ramgoti, Hatiya and Bitol points, the sources added.
‘It is very difficult to ply water vessels during fog and emergence of shoals, said Sobahan Mia, master of a oil tanker said.
Different stations on Barisal–Mathbaria, Barisal–Hularhut, Barisal–Mohipur, Barisal–Goma, and Barisal–Galachipa routes have already been closed and Shaberhut-Tungibaria canal on Barisal-Bhola, Basnir Khal on Barisal–Dhaka routes are often disrupted due to shoals and absence of sufficient making signs.
Mannan, a master of triple-decked launch MV Sundarbon-7, plying Barisal-Dhaka–Barisal route, said, ‘At least six buoys and beacon lights are required on Barisal-Charmonai and three at Barisal-Vashan Char route.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
