Smooth ferry communication on Daulatdia-Paturia is being hampered due to poor navigability in the river Padma causing serious problems for passengers and vehicles on this route. Vessels are getting stuck in hidden shoals frequently.
Only two small ferries are sailing on Daulatdia-Paturia river channel out of 13. Due to shortage of ferries and strong current in the river Padma, movement of ferries is being hampered everyday.
With the advent of the dry season, the river Padma lost its navigability at the Daulatdia ferry ghat point due to drastic fall in water level in the last couple of days.
Sources said the vessels cannot reach Daulatdia from Paturia ferry ghat due to
emergence of innumerable shoals for.
Lack of proper dredging in the main channel of the River Padma on time, sources said.
As a result, hundreds of passenger buses and trucks travelling to and from the south and southern districts have to suffer a lot waiting for hours on both ghats.
Assistant General Manager, BIWTC of Daulatdia-Paturia ferry sector Md Zillur Rahman on Friday told this correspondent that ferry Keramot Ali and ferry Enayet Puri got stranded in the shoals near the river channel with many passengers and vehicles.
The situation has created five to seven km long queue of passenger laden buses and good laden trucks and others vehicles on the Dhaka-Khulna high way.
Kefayet Ullah, ferry master of Khanjahan Ali, said at least nine to 14 feet water level is needed for smooth ferry movement.
But the depth of water in the river is below nine
feet at different points including Daulatdia and Paturia ghats and adjacent areas.
As a result, movement of all RO-RO ferries (Big ferry) has stopped from
Friday. There is no marking of water level at different points, ferry master added.
Executive Engineer of BIWTA in Aricha sector Md Tareque Rahman said: “We cannot keep smooth ferry communication due to drastic fall in water level.”
We are trying our best to create alternative channel from Daulatdia to Paturia but it is not possible immediately, he added.
-With The Independent input
