Patuaria-Daulatdia ferry service: Uncertainty looms ahead of Eid

Thousands of people have to remain stranded for hours as strong current and damaged landing stations have been causing serious disruption in ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route on the River Padma.
Officials at the terminals said more than 250 vehicles, mostly buses, got stuck on both ends each on Monday, causing immeasurable sufferings to the home-bound people who intend to celebrate Eid with their relatives.
The pressure on the route will multiply once the government Eid holidays begin on September 11, when millions of people would have to cross the river to reach their destinations.
Abdus Sattar, manager (marine) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation at Aricha, said the ferries were struggling to cross the river due to strong current caused by the sudden opening of the gates of Farakka dam by India.
Strong current in the river and damaged landing stations have put the ferry service on the route under threat.
Of the four landing stations at the Daulatdia ferry terminal, station no 1 was damaged on August 4, said Md Shafiqul Islam, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation manager (commerce) at the terminal.
The rest stations were now also under threat of erosion, he said.
Ro Ro ferries — Bhasha Sainik Dr Golam Mawla, Bhasha Shahid Barkat and Keramat Ali — can draw into the landing station no 2, but the other ferries cannot reach the station due to strong current, he added.
In a visit to the Daulatdia ferry terminal on Saturday afternoon, a 100-feet approach road of the landing station no 4 was found partially damaged by the current while a part of the station no 3 was also seen eroded.
Master of Ro Ro ferry Shah Makhdum and quarter master of Bhasha Shahid Barkat Abdul Mannan told New Age that it was tough to move on the route smoothly due to strong current.
‘I have been struggling with my ferry’s speed of six nautical miles per hour against the nine nautical miles of the current,’ Abdul Mannan said.
It now needed 60 minutes instead of the usual 40 minutes in ferrying across the river, they said.
The Roads and Highways Department and the BIWTA were struggling to check the river erosion by dumping sandbags at the affected points, said Nijam Uddin Pathan, BIWTA executive engineer.
The BIWTA was working to repair the landing stations to make it usable, he said.
The ferries also have to move 2500ft up and down because of a 2000ft wide shoal in front of ferry station no 3 of Paturia terminal to avoid accident, he said.
It would be very tough to keep the ferry service normal as the number of vehicles would increase before and after the Eid.
Around 3,500 vehicles move on the route daily and it is expected to stand at 6,500 during Eid, he added.
The passengers of the route have been facing serious problems because of long tailbacks on both side of Paturia and Daulatdia ferry terminals for the past couple of days, locals have said.
BIWTC Workers’ Union president of Aricha ferry terminal Foyej Ullah said the Daultdia terminal should be shifted to Kathaltola, half kilometer downwards.
The Daulatdia ferry terminal, which is situated near the confluence of the two major rivers — the Padma and the Jamuna, needs to be shifted to safer place immediately to keep the services normal, said Sheikh Mohammad Nasim, deputy general manager of BIWTC.
A total of 19 ferries, including 10 Ro Ro ferries, three K-type and six Utility, were put in service on the Paturia-Daulatdia route, out of which 16 ferries were now in operation, said Abdus Sattar, BIWTC manager (marine).
Khan Jahan Ali was sent for repairing on August 16 in 2015, Amanat Shah on September 17 in 2016 and Madhobilota remained parked at Paturia terminal since March after an accident, he said.
The Ro Ro ferries — Khan Jahan Ali and Amanat Shah — would join the operation before Eid-ul-Azha and the ferry services would be normal, he hoped.
The ferry services on the route were disrupted for six days from August 6.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net