Paturia-Daulatdia ferry route rendered risky
Lighting system, gangways in bad shape
Dilapidated gangway and pontoon at a ghat at Paturia ferry terminal pose risk for vehicles and passengers. Photo: STAR
Water vessels have to move on Paturia-Daulatdia and Paturia-Kazirhat routes amid risk as there is absence of adequate lighting and mercury system. Besides, gangways and pontoons are in a bad condition, posing risk of accident any time. “At night, we have to remain extra careful as we have to operate ferry vessels depending on assumption due to lack of sufficient lights and mercury system,” said a ferry master seeking anonymity. Masters of the water vessels urged Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to take necessary steps for ensuring proper lighting and mercury on the channels for safe movement and avoid any untoward incident. When contacted, Joynal Abedin, senior deputy director of BIWTA's Conservancy and Pilot Services, said there is no problem in lighting because there are four lights on Paturia and Daultdia sides. He, however, said, “There is problem in mercury system. Mercury papers and relevant materials are to be imported. We are trying to manage the materials and hopeful about getting it within a short time." Several ferry masters said the approach ways to the ghats on both sides of River Padma are very narrow and the ghats and pontoons are badly damaged. As a result, much time is consumed for vehicles' getting into and down from ferry boats. The authority should repair the damaged pontoons and ghats on priority basis, they said. The channels should be wide for easy and safe movement of water vessels, they said. During recent visit to Paturia ferry terminal, this correspondent found drivers of vehicles struggling to get into ferry boats through run-down gangways. Ghats and pontoons at Paturia, Daulatdia and Kazirhat terminals are inadequate too. Several vehicle drivers and passengers said there are only three ghats at Paturia terminal. A ghat from Daulatdia ferry terminal was shifted to Kazirhat ferry terminal on September 9 this year for resuming Paturia-Kazirhat channel. All the pontoons of the two ghats are also badly damaged. When contacted, Akram Ullah, executive engineer of BIWTA's Engineering Section, said the ferry ghats and pontoons have been damaged recently due to waves caused by cyclone Reshmi. We hope the situation will be improve soon when all the pontoons are set within a short time.”
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