Paturia: Launch services at the Paturia terminal in Manikganj district have been suspended as rising water levels in the Padma River inundated the terminal’s connecting road, disrupting passenger movement to and from the southwestern districts.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Panna Lal, the supervisor of the launch terminal, reported that the water level in the Padma River had been rising continuously over the past several days. The situation took a turn for the worse early on Tuesday when the water level rose further, submerging the road leading to the terminal. This development made it unsafe for passengers to board or disembark from launches, necessitating the suspension of services.
Terminal authorities have been fighting a losing battle as earlier attempts to raise the road with sandbags were defeated by the rising waters. The sandbags, which had been effective in the past, have now succumbed to the water, leaving the road completely submerged.
Passengers, who regularly rely on the launch service, are now compelled to take a longer route by ferry, which adds both time and cost to their journeys. This disruption has brought significant inconvenience to the daily commuters who depend heavily on the launch services for their travel needs.
In response to the crisis, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) initiated the relocation of the terminal’s pontoon to the Koraitola area around noon. During this relocation process, launch services were temporarily halted.
BIWTA Executive Engineer Md Robiul Islam acknowledged the difficulties faced by passengers due to the continuous rise in the water level of the Padma. He stated that a new pontoon has already been relocated to Koraitola, and work is ongoing to install two additional pontoons there. Once all three pontoons are in place, the launch terminal will be fully relocated to Koraitola, which is expected to restore services and alleviate the current travel disruptions.