Passenger launches and sea trucks have been suspended on about 30 waterways in the district due to the turbulent weather conditions in the Bhola estuary and Meghna River. Seaports have been asked to display local warning signal number 3 due to the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
Launch operations on these waterways were suspended last Thursday. Authorities have not allowed launches to operate on these waterways until Monday afternoon. However, some speedboats and small trawlers are transporting passengers despite the ban.
Officials of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA)’s maritime safety department said that operations are being carried out to prevent illegal boat traffic. Still, some speedboats and trawlers are plying despite the ban.
The Bhola Meteorological Department said that the sea is rough due to the influence of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal. Due to this, the movement of all types of passenger vessels in the Sandwip Channel is currently prohibited. Riyad Hossain, Assistant Director of BIWTA’s Bhola River Port, said that passenger launches and sea trucks will remain closed until further orders.
Inspector of the Maritime Safety Department Md. Jasim Uddin said that every year from March 15 to October 15, the Meghna River flows towards the sea on the Elisha-Lakshmipur waterway. Therefore, special precautions are in place on these waterways during this time. Launch operations are closed on at least 30 waterways, including Bhola’s Elisha-Lakshmipur, Barisal-Mehendiganj-Elisha, Daulatkhan-Alexander, Monpura-Char Fashion, Betua-Dhaka, and Monpura’s Hazirhat-Chairman Ghat. Of these, 8 waterways are under the control of BIWTA, while the rest are under the control of the district administration and district council.
BIWTA sources said that licensed speedboats are banned from operating in these waterways from March 15 to October 15 every year. Small trawlers are banned all year round. But despite these rules, trawlers and speedboats are still operating in many places, increasing the risk of accidents.
Source: Prothom Alo
