More than 600 vehicles, waiting at Daulatdia and Paturia to be ferried across the Padma, have created a long tailback of Dhaka and Khulna bound vehicles carrying passengers returning to work after Eid-ul-Azha holidays. The ferry movement on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route became normal yesterday (Saturday) morning.

“The situation at the Paturia and Daulatdia ferry terminals is very bad. There is heavy pressure of vehicles due to disruption of ferry movement at Kathalbari,” Zillur Rahman, assistant general manager of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Paturia, told The Independent yesterday.

He said it would take at least 24 hours to clear the tailback.

 “The BIWTC is operating about 20 ferries to cross the Padma carrying the vehicles. At least 300 vehicles each at the Paturia and Daulatdia

points are waiting to cross the river,” Rahman said in reply to a query.

However, people had faced similar hassles on their way home to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha due to the lack of ferry boats to cross the river both at Kathalbari-Shimulia and Paturia-Daulatdia ferry terminals.

Old vessels, which find it difficult to negotiate the strong currents of the Padma, also made the journey difficult for passengers returning to Dhaka.

Those who arrived at the Daulatdia terminal on Friday, crossed the river yesterday, after being stranded for 24 hours in long rows of vehicles.  It was the same for bus drivers and their helpers, who were unable to move.

Trucks carrying perishables, especially vegetables for the markets of the capital, were held up on the way.

Besides, the boats were unable to move full-steam because of strong currents, Zillur Rahman said.

The ferry service on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route, which was disrupted 10 days ago, resumed yesterday morning after removal of a sandbar formed at Lowhajang turning point on the Padma.

“A total of 18 ferries are now carrying vehicles on the Shimulia-Kathalbari ferry route. There is no possibility of further disruption in the channel. Now the channel is fully under the control of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA),” Saidur Rahman, superintendent engineer of the BIWTA, told this correspondent.

The navigability depth of the ferry channel is now 8.5 feet-13 feet. The required depth is seven feet for the ferry to move, he said in reply to a query.

 “Ten dredgers are engaged in removing silt from the channel, which will continue until further notice. We will now be able to keep the channel navigable without further disruption,” Rahman said.

The depth of water was 12 feet on August 30, but suddenly fell to seven feet on August 31. This disrupted ferry movement on the channel.