12 river routes suffer non-navigability

22 December 2011, 18:00 PM

Bss, Dhaka

The ferry movement on 12 river routes, mostly in southern Bangladesh, has been facing serious difficulties due to non-navigability in different channels in winter. Inadequate dredging and poor maintenance on the water routes and lack of beacon lamps and markers cause problems to ferry and passenger launch movement, especially during night when they run aground on shoals frequently, according to launch operators. Passenger launch operators on Dhaka-Barisal route told the news agency on Wednesday that they had written a letter to the ministry concerned in September this year requesting it to carry out dredging in the important channels to maintain smooth ferry services. But, little had been done so far in this regard, they said. “Following our demand, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has been carrying out small scale dredging on different river routes to maintain navigability". But, this is not sufficient as we are still facing tremendous problem in operating our passenger vessels due to deposition of silt in various channels”, said Saidur Rahman Rintu, owner of Sundarban Navigation Co. According to the BIWTA, siltation at Alubazar, Moidherchar, Bamnirchar, Duimukh, Charbhoirab, Jalalpur, Baushia to Lata and Barisal river port has been hampering ferry services on Dhaka-Barisal route. Besides, deposition of silt on over 30 points on the routes of Dhaka-Hularhat, Dhaka-Patuakhali, Dhaka-Rangabali-Kalaiya-Charmontaj and Lalmohan, Dhaka-Shariatpur-Bhedorganj, Dhaka-Bhola, Dhaka-Hizla-Muladi, Dhaka-Borhanuddin, Dhaka-Damudda-Haturia, Dhaka-Madaripur, Narsingdi-Gorkonghat, Dhaka-Hatia, Dhaka-Daulatkha and Barisal-Luxmipur has created obstacle frequently to ferry movement. Talking to the news agency, Rintu said, “As a result of siltation, sometimes masters (captains of vessels) have to depend on high and low tides in operating vessels. “Due to navigability problem on waterways, especially during winter, we have to struggle to maintain schedule of ferry services". Apart from siltation, vessel operators have been facing another problem due to lack of adequate beacon lamps and route identification markers. Contacted, BIWTA Chairman Dr Md Shamsuddoha Khondakar said that despite inadequate facilities, they have been carrying out dredging on different river routes to maintain navigability. “We have conducted large-scale dredging this year in Mawa-Char Janajat and Paturia-Doulatdia channel to maintain ferry services as siltation sometimes disrupts ferry movement there”. According to statistics, the country's river channels have now reduced to 3,500 kilometres from 30,000 kilometres and the number of river routes to 12 from 30 during the last few years.