Passenger launches at risk of running aground

Passenger launches on Dhaka-Barishal river route are at risk of running aground during the Eid journey due to underwater shoals in the rivers.

As such, operating launches on the route may be risky during the journey of home-goers ahead of Eid, said launch drivers.

At least one lakh people may travel on the river route daily ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, passenger launches and cargo vessels require at least 8-12 metres of depth of water to navigate and sometimes run aground where the water is no more than four or five metres deep, often due to underwater shoals.

A total of 20 passenger launches will operate on the route for Eid journey, said launch owners.

They also said these launches will make round trips if passengers are available.

There are also plans to double the number of launches on domestic routes, but the need for navigability at different river points is likely to cause obstacles to that end, the launch owners added.

"Due to shallow waters and underwater shoals at different points, launched will have to run slowly, thereby taking more time to reach the destination. Sometimes, if a launch runs aground, it has to wait for the tide, which often takes up to three hours," said Saidur Rahman Rintu, vice president of Launch Owners Association.

"If a launch runs aground, it takes hours to make it move again, while fuel consumption also increases. It also poses a risk for the vessel to sink or undergo accidents at any time. So, we are worried," said Abdus Shukkur, chief master of MV Survi-7.

Launch drivers said that underwater shoals have formed in at least 18 places on Dhaka-Barishal route as well as local routes within Barishal, including Baushia-Nalbunia channel, Kirtankhola near Shaistabad in Barishal, estuary of Arial Khan river, between Hijla and Babuganj, and from Ulania to Sheora in Mehndiganj, among others, where the launch operation has been closed for a long time due to lack of navigability.

"There are shallow waters in at least six places between Barishal and Chandpur alone. As a result, these places cannot be navigated by the vessels without tide," said Zakir Hossain, manager of MV Sundarban Navigation Company, confirming the matter.

Excavation of river at different points on the route will solve the problem, said Abdur Razzak Miah, supervising engineer at BIWTA Dredger Base in Barishal.

However, Saidur Rahman disagreed.

"Even though the BIWTA dredges at some places on this route every year, they dump the river sand back in the river, eventually forming shoals underwater. As such, we do not reap any benefit from the dredging," he said.