Bhola
Ferry services suspended
RIVER EROSION
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Ferry services on Bhola-Laxmipur route have remained suspended over the past five days due to erosion of the Meghna river bank near the Ilisha ferry terminal.
Sources said the soil under the gangway of the terminal has been washed away by the river current; and passageway might collapse any time .
The situation has forced the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport authorities to suspended ferry services from March13.
According to sources, ferry terminal was shifted four times and services suspended for over two months last year due to continuous erosion.
Following the suspension of the ferry services hundreds of trucks loaded with potato, vegetables, and watermelon have remained stranded on both sides of the River Meghna.
The truck drivers and local traders said now is the peak time for harvesting potato, vegetables and watermelon in Bhola district. But due to suspension of ferry services the growers and traders will incur huge losses as they are unable to send their products to Dhaka, Chittagong and other parts of the country. This route is important as it connect 21 southern districts of the country, sources added.
Asaduzaman, the assistant engineer of the BIWTA, Barisal, said they expect the service to resume within next five days.
Abu Alam, the terminal manager of the BIWTC Ilisha ferry terminal, said a repair work is going on there to help resumption of ferry service soon.
