Vessels get stuck in shoals occasionally
Movement of vessels on Patuakhali-Dhaka waterways is being greatly hampered due to poor navigability of the rivers.
Though dredging on the route has been going on for six months, vessels, including passenger launches, get stuck on shallow waters.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Inspector Md Mahtab Uddin said at least four double-decker passenger launches ply the Patuakhali-Dhaka route and one launch plies the Dhaka-Galachipa-via-Patuakhali route daily. Movement of the launches is greatly hampered due to emergence of shoals at different places.
Launches plying the Kobai, Karkhana, Lohalia, Laukathi and Saehakathi rivers often have to anchor during low tide due to the shoals, he said.
A launch got stuck in Afalkathi area on the Kobai river on March 1 during low tide and left the place for Dhaka after two and a half hours during high tide, said Jalal Ahmed, a passenger. Sareng (master) of the launch Md Khalilur Rahman said they often have to anchor during low tide due to poor navigability of the rivers.
Staff of different launches submitted a letter to the authorities concerned on August 21 in 2017, requesting them to dredge the rivers to keep the routes navigable, Khalilur said.
Patuakhali port office also sent a letter about the matter to the higher authorities on June 1, requesting the then port officer Abdur Razzak to dredge 1,000 metres in Patuakhali launch ghat area on the Lohalia river, 2,400 metres in Sehakathi, Jainkathi, Boga launch ghats and Hoglar char areas, 300 metres at Afalkathi on the Kobai river, 500 metres at Nurainpur and 1,500 metres in Jhilana launch ghat area.
BIWTA started dredging on June 7 in 2017 at Patuakhali launch ghat area while two more dredgers are working in Kobai river and Jhilna area.
Although the three dredgers have been working for around eight months, movement of vessels is still hampered.
No benefit
“We can't get benefit from the dredging as the sand falls on the same river bed and refills the channel,” Khalilur said.
This correspondent on Thursday found a dredger at Patuakhali launch ghat area lifting the sand and letting it fall on the same riverbed.
Md Feroz Khan, master of MV AR Khan, a double-decker launch of the route, said they run the launches at great risk as navigability has not improved although dredging is going on for months.
BIWTA Dredging Department Deputy-Assistant Engineer Md Masud Rana said more time is needed to dredge the Patuakhali launch ghat area as the dredger has been out of order for some time.
“We started dredging in Kobai and Jhilna area one and a half months ago, and will restore navigability very soon,” he said.
BITWA Assistant Director Khaja Sadiqur Rahman said they will take steps after discussion with the dredging department's officials.
- Courtesy: The Daily Star Mar 18, 2018
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