Ferry movement and other modes of water transport are facing a crisis of navigability on the Shimulia–Kathalbari waterway, which marks the entry points to at least 21 districts in the south-eastern area of Bangladesh.
The problem has arisen as the water level of the Padma dwindles, even during the monsoon.
Sources said the ferries carry vehicles and take much time to navigate, but still are running along this route despite the high degree of risk. Apprehensions have been expressed that if such a trend continues and no dredging is done on the route, the movement of vessels may stop at any point of time.
Against this backdrop, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has taken steps and is preparing an alternative ferry route on the Shimulia–Kathalbari waterway to preclude any unwanted disruptions in the plying of ferries on this route, BIWTA sources said.
“A little siltation was seen in the Shimulia–Kathalbari waterway, but it has been removed. Ferry movement is normal now,” Shah Mohammad Khaled Newaz, the deputy general manager of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), told The Independent yesterday.
A total of 18 ferries are currently operating on the Shimulia–Kathalbari channel, he said, adding that a couple of more ferries are scheduled to join the fleet in the next two days.
“We will be able to ferry all the buses and cars smoothly by 20 ferries during the Eid holidays. If artificial traffic snarls are not created, we hope we will be able to handle the crossing of vehicles across the mighty river safely and smoothly,” he said in reply to a query.
The BIWTA has prepared an alternative channel to preclude any problems in the waterways, he added.
BIWTA chairman Commodore M Mozammel Huq wrote to the secretary of the Bridges Division on June 6, requesting him to provide a 30-inch cutter suction dredger to dredge the alternative channel.
“Normally, huge amounts of silt are deposited at the Louhajang turning point every year during the full monsoon on the Shimulia–Kathalbari ferry route. Owing to strong currents, the authorities are unable to conduct dredging work, and ferry movement is disrupted,” Saidur Rahman, the BIWTA’s additional chief engineer, told this correspondent.
He said at least four lakh cubic metres of silt would have to be removed to introduce the new alternative route.
“The length of the dredging areas will be 700 metres, the width 125 metres and the depth four metres for the new channel. We have already engaged three dredgers. A large dredger is needed to dredge the main channel,” he said.
He said the BIWTA does not have a dredger of such a big size in its fleet, but Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company, which is currently engaged in the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) construction project, does have such a dredger.
“We have requested the PMB’s project director to provide the dredger to help us dredge the alternative channel, considering the importance of the Shimulia–Kathalbari route as a national ferry route,” Saidur Rahman said.
Once the route is dredged, ferries and other kinds of water vessels would able to use the route round the year, he observed.
Sources said the problem of navigability becomes critical in the Louhajang turning point, the middle char area of Shimulia ghat, Kathalbari, Banglabazaar, Chairmanbari area and Charjanajat every year because of siltation. It is quite risky to run ferries from the Hazra turning point to Kawrakandi ghat because of the low water level that arises as a result of siltation.