Home ›› 04 Apr 2023 ›› Nation
Two out of the six ferries plying the Bhola-Lakshmipur route have been down for over a week, disrupting Bhola’s communication and goods transport and causing severe traffic jams.
The district remains separated from the rest of the country due to its geological location and the residents depend heavily on water transportation systems.
However, two of the six ferries plying on the Bhola-Lakshipur route broke down about a week ago. The rest are still operational, however, are not able to handle the traffic pressure resulting in severe traffic jams on both sides of the Meghna River.
Bus, trucks and lorries engaged in general passenger and goods transport are idling by the road daily.
Fruits and vegetable traders are especially suffering due to long traffic jams at the district’s Elisha Ferryghat (wharf). Watermelon traders in particular are worried about the spoilage of their products.
According to the traders, many watermelons were damaged before harvest due to the early storms and rain causing them financial loss. Now again due to disrupted ferry services, watermelons waiting to be transported to different districts of the country for marketing are in danger of getting spoiled.
The marginal farmers are expected to be hit the hardest if the situation continues. The farmers and traders of the district demanded related authorities look into the matter and make all the ferries operational as soon as possible.
Various types of vehicles including two hundred trucks and lorries on both sides are waiting to cross the ghat till the time of filing this report yesterday afternoon. Among these, there are 70 watermelon-loaded trucks and lorries waiting in the Bhola section.
The drivers and labourers of the vehicles complained that some of them have been waiting for over a day to get on a ferry, but due to the long traffic, they were unable to board.
Watermelon-carrying lorry driver Md Kamal Hossain, “We have been waiting since Saturday night. It has been over a day, and we still could not board the ferry”
Another driver Idris said, “There is no guarantee of when we can board either. I am worried that the melons on my lorry will spoil soon if we cannot transport them soon.”
In this regard, Md Parvez Khan, in charge of Bhola-Lakshipur ferry services, said that two ferries named Kusum Koli and Kalmi Lata broke down last week.
“Efforts are underway to speed up repairs to the ferries. Hopefully, it will be up and running in a day or so. The traffic will go back to normal afterwards,” he said.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension district office this year watermelon has been cultivated on 18,000 hectares of land in Bhola. Some 9.5 lakh tonnes of watermelons have been produced and about 90 per cent of the harvest is transported to different districts.
It is known that the Bhola-Lakshipur ferry service is an easy means of communication between the water-surrounded island district of Bhola and 21 districts in the southwestern part of the country. Six ferries ply this route on the regular.
