Traffic jam eases at Daulatdia as ferry services resume

BIWTC and BIWTA dredged the Daulatdia–Paturia river channel to facilitate ferry movement.
Traffic jam in Daulatdia eased slightly Saturday after nine hours of frantic efforts by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority. 
BIWTC and BIWTA dredged the Daulatdia–Paturia river channel to facilitate ferry movement. 
Ferry operation on the river route was suspended due to emergence of hidden shoals and poor navigability at the entrance points on both sides of the ferry ghats. 
Transpiration by ferries suffered a serious setback over the last couple of days that resulted in an immense sufferings to the passengers and vehicles. 
The situation led to 4-5 miles long queue of goods-laden trucks on Dhaka-Khulna highway across Daulatdia. Shortage of ferries, strong current and poor navigability in the river Padma are attributed to the frequent setbacks to the ferry operation.
 A regular scenerio being that vessels get stuck in hidden shoals and ferry services get interrupted. Ferry services resumed Saturday after an emergency dredging at the entrance point of Daulatdia river channel. 
Of the 13 ferries, seven RO-RO ferries and two K-type small ferries started sailing on the river route nine hours after passengers were left stranded. 
Sources said ferries could not reach Daulatdia from Paturia ferry ghat due to emergence of innumerable shoals on the river route. Lack of proper and timely dredging in the river Padma led to the situation. 
Hundreds of passenger buses and goods-laden trucks travelling to and from the south and southern districts had to wait for hours on both sides of ferry ghats.
 Heavy current and a rapid fall in water level were also bar to ferry movement with its full load and speed. On Saturday, two ferries Shajalal and Hamidur Rahman got stuck in hidden shoals and were later salvaged by tug boat. 
BIWTC Assistant General Manager Md Zillur Rahman of Daulatdia-Paturia ferry services Saturday told this correspondent two ferries Motiur Rahman and keramot Ali were out of service in the wake of technical glitch and had been sent to dockyard Saturday. 
Many big ferries are carrying passenger buses and goods-laden trucks at half their capacity due to strong current and hidden shoals in the river. 
Ferry master Kefayet Ullah of vessel Khanjahan said at least nine-fourteen feet depth of water were necessary for smooth ferry movement. 
The depth of water in the river is below nine feet at different points including those at Daulatdia and Paturia ferry ghats. 
Executive Engineer of BIWTA (Aricha) Md Tarequl Hassan said: “We started dredging to create 8,000 feet long and 2,500 feet wide new approach channel to maintain ferry services.

Dredging not Helping Daulatdia-Paturia Ferry Services

Authorities have started dredging the Daulatdia and Paturia channels of the Padma River, but water transport officials said ferry services on the route were unlikely to return to normal immediately. 
Sources said ferry operations between Daulatdia and Paturia were disrupted because of poor navigability due to siltation, submerged shoals, strong currents and low water level in the two river channels. 
Frequent suspension of ferry services on the route has been hampering communications between the capital, Dhaka, and 21 southwestern districts. 
Md Zillur Rahman, assistant general manager of Daulatdia river terminal, said a ferry, the Bir Shreshtho Motiur Rahman, carrying four heavy vehicles and a dozen microbuses, was stranded in shoal near the No:2 jetty overnight Monday. The vessel was salvaged Tuesday morning. 
Daulatdia-Paturia ferry services improved somewhat on Monday using an alternative channel. But navigability of the main channel remained poor, restricting ferry movement on both channels. 
Long queues of cars, buses and trucks were seen Tuesday afternoon at the Daulatdia ferry terminal, waiting for hours to travel on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. 
Meanwhile, dredgers could not be operated properly due to strong currents in the channels, said Tarequl Hasan, executive engineer of BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority). 
A BIWTC (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation) official said a fully-loaded ferry needs two to three metres of water to move, whereas the current depth of the channels was below two metres. 
The water level was falling by eight to 10 centimetres every day, which calls for long-term dredging to restore navigability, he added. 
However, BIWTA officials claimed that the depth of the newly-opened channel was above two metres, and it would be possible to restore normal ferry operations soon.