Ferry services at a standstill

THE Paturia-Daulatdia route is the latest in a series of routes where ferry services have had to be halted starting from the rainy season. Low navigability, fierce currents and the rapid formation of underwater shoals have forced hundreds of vehicles to take long detours. Less than a week ago, services were suspended for nine hours on the same route. This time, it has been almost two days. Before that, it was the Chandpur-Shariatpur and Mawa-Kewrakandi river routes. Along with the distressed passengers, who are unable to reach their destinations on time, not to mention the sufferings along the way, hundreds of trucks laden with perishable items and goods are also stranded at such times.
As with everything, prevention is better than cure, and in this case, would have saved us much time, money, energy and effort. The monsoons are no surprise for us and preparedness could have mitigated much of the effects of such natural disasters for which we really should be ready by now. At this point, immediate steps must be taken to step up dredging. Instead of blaming each other, the authorities responsible -- the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) -- should cooperate and coordinate in their efforts to derive as much of a solution as is possible for the existing as well as possible future such crises, this and every subsequent year.