No lesson learnt, ferry disaster looms large

Boatmen of Sunapur and Chikiti blocks of Ganjam district continue to ferry villagers on rickety boats.
Boatmen join two vessels to ferry villagers across Bahuda river in Ganjam district | EXPRESS
Boatmen join two vessels to ferry villagers across Bahuda river in Ganjam district | EXPRESS

BERHAMPUR: ON December 10, 2016 a boat capsized in Chilika lake claiming four lives. On February 9, 2014 a mechanised country boat carrying picnic revellers across Hirakud dam capsized and claimed 31 lives. In both the cases, the boats were overcrowded and did not have valid permits and safety equipment. The boat that capsized in Chilika was a fishing vessel and did not possess a passenger permit.

Even after the two tragedies that shook the State, the boat operators have not learnt any lesson, it seems. Many in cutoff villages of Ganjam district continue to depend on rickety boats for communication at the cost of their lives. A case in point is the ferry services in Sunapur and Chikiti blocks of Ganjam district. The boatmen of the two blocks continue to ferry villagers on rickety boats across Bahuda river to the mainstream.

This, despite the fact that their permits have expired in March 2016. The river flows between Sunapur and Anantaraipur besides other small villages on its path before joining the Bay of Bengal. While Sunapur is connected with the National Highway by road, people of Anantaraipur, Patisunapur and a few other thickly populated and fishermen dominated villages cross the river in the boat to reach the mainstream for business. The high demand for the only means of transportation has led the operators to go a step ahead and innovate to accommodate more passengers.

The two operators, who have permits for ferrying 12 passengers each, carry more people and make more profits. The operators make about 15 rounds a day and during each trip, it takes around 50 minutes to reach the other end and back. The operators, who do not mind risking the life of villagers for some extra bucks, charge `10 per head, `20 for a motorcycle and the levy on luggage depends on the weight or in some cases, the passengers they are dealing with.

The people of the two villages rely on overcrowded boats and also carry bicycles and motorcycles, as the 250-metre long bridge road constructed at a cost of `13 crore awaits inauguration, preferrably by the Chief Minister. The work on the bridge started in 2012 and was completed about a month back and was slated to be inaugurated by the Chief Minster during his last visit. The irony is that the area is often visited by officials and police, but none has ever questioned the violation of norms.

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