GHOGHA: Surat diamond worker Kishoresinh Gohil had a perfect weekend with his family and friends back home. He took the ro-ro ferry Dahej to Ghogha in the Gulf of Khambhat and planned to be back at work on Monday. But then, the ferry service was cancelled for three days due to the cyclone warning.
To be back at work in the diamond cutting centre in Surat, he had to undertake a journey by road. It was an exhausting trip of 360 km from Bhavnagar to Surat. It took him close to 10 hours and he ended up losing a day at work. Had the ro-ro ferry been available, Gohil would have been at work in three hours without having to lose a day.
Launched on Oct. 22, the ro-ro (roll on, roll off) ferry has a capacity of 233 passengers. It plies in the Gulf of Khambhat between peninsular Saurashtra and south Gujarat. Ghogha in Saurashtra’s Bhavnagar district lies 17 nautical miles, or 32 km, across the gulf from Dahej in Bharuch district.
The first of its kind in India, the ro-ro ferry has been welcomed by people in Saurashtra -- particularly the diamond, textile and embroidery workers and businessmen -- who are now able to travel between Ghogha (about 25 km from Bhavnagar) and Dahej (about 120 km from Surat) without hassles.
Surat in south Gujarat is a migration magnet. Several lakh people from Bhavnagar, Amreli, Rajkot and Junagadh work in the diamond, textile and embroidery industry there. But they leave their families behind because living space is expensive in Surat. The ro-ro service has made travelling much easier for migrant workers employed in Surat. Indeed, the Gujarat State Rroad Transport Corporation and private players operate on the route, but the buses are packed. Even rail connectivity is limited. The ro-ro ferry has cut travel time down to a few hours, while costing the same (Rs 500) as buses.
The ferry ride of 31 km from Ghogha to Dahej takes just an hour. Thereafter, people can take a bus onward or hire a private vehicle. Now travelers drive down from Surat, park their vehicles in Dahej and take the ferry to Ghogha.
Come Jan. 15, people will be able to take their cars, trucks and even buses on the state-of-the-art Ropax ferry. The vessel is ready and the authorities are waiting for dredging work to be completed. The ferry will then be able to carry up to 100 vehicles (cars, buses and trucks) and 250 passengers between the two ports.
Businessmen are waiting for the upgrade. “The Ropax service will boost our business as trucks can be transported and we can save time, money and energy,'' says Navalbhai, a Surat-based businessman who deals in textiles.
The service is likely to encourage business in Saurashtra. “With the launch of the ro-ro ferry, businessmen in Surat will invest in Bhavnagar, Rajkot and other areas as lands are cheap there and so is the work force. Once Ropax commences operations, business and trade will flourish,'' says Avantikbhai Patel, a businessman.
While trade, business and employment are poised for a a boost, politically, the introduction of the ro-ro ferry is seen as an attempt to assuage the anger among Patidars who control the diamond industry in Surat. A majority of Patidars, who are sailing with Hardik Patel, the young leader heading the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) which seeks a quota for the social group in jobs and education, are angry with the BJP.
The promise of a ferry between Ghogha and Dahej goes back to the mid 1960s. The matter was discussed when Balwantrai Mehta was Gujarat chief minister but subsequently went into cold storage due to technical and cost considerations. A feasibility survey was commissioned in 2001 and it took five years for the report to be submitted. Consultations with the Gujarat Maritime Board and technical approvals took another five years and tenders were floated in 2011.
In January 2012, Narendra Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat, laid the foundation stone, 10 months before the Assembly elections that year. The engineering, procurement and construction contract was awarded to Essas Projects India Ltd. The time given to build the terminal buildings and other infrastructure was 15 months but work got delayed. Till mid 2015, only 10 per cent of the work had been completed. By the time the ferry rolled out in October 2017, the project cost ballooned from Rs 250 crore to Rs 650 crore.
“To say there was a delay is easy. It was a very challenging project. The rise and fall of the tide is 11 m here. In other words, the tide goes as high as 11 m and drops to 2 m every six hours. The dredging works took a lot of time and there were other technical difficulties,'' said D K Manral, the CEO of Indigo Seaways, which runs the ferry and manages the terminals in Ghogha and Dahej.
Q&A with D K Manral, CEO of Indigo Seaways
What’s the event horizon for Ropax?
The vessel is ready and the dredging work is going on and we are waiting for its completion. The Ropax vessel is 110 m long and has three decks of which two are meant for passengers. It has the capacity to carry 500 passengers aqnd accommodate 70 trucks or buses and 30 cars. It will be launched on January 15, 2018 and we will not miss the deadline.
Will it be spacious and comfortable?
Ropax has three passenger classes: VIP, business and executive. It has a play area for children, a VIP lounge, a restaurant and two ramps. Passengers will have more leg room in the fully air-conditioned ferry. Even the ro-ro ferry is fully carpeted and air-conditioned. Like the ro-ro ferry, Ropax will also undertake two round trips every day.
How are the tickets priced?
The fares are still being worked out. But they will be reasonable.
Will it end up as an election gimmick like the Okha-Dwarka ferry?
This is a state-of-the-art facility. Except for environmental conditions like a cyclone, no other problem can affect the service. The terminal buildings are ready and passengers will have no hassles from the time they enter the port. Ropax is ready and raring to go.
What has been the response to the ro-ro ferry?
We were surprised by the response. It was more than we expected. Every day, it is filled to capacity (233 passengers) from Ghogha to Dahej and back. We expect the response to Ropax to be greater as it can ferry trucks, buses and cars as well.