There has been severe traffic jam in Daulatdia section of Rajbari on the Daulatdia-Paturia water route. In the last one week, more than seven hundred vehicles have been stuck in this traffic jam. These capital-bound vehicles include long-distance buses, freight trucks and covered vans.
Long-distance buses take 8 to 10 hours to reach the ferry, freight trucks take 2 to 3 days. The bus passengers, drivers and transport workers have to suffer in this.
On the spot, on Sunday at around 1 pm in Daulatdia Ghat area, a long queue of vehicles from Zero Point of the ferry wharf to the Goaland Fire Service on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway left 5 km. In addition, to reduce traffic congestion, more than 300 vehicles have been stopped at Goalanda junction, 13 and a half kilometers behind the ghat. In addition, to reduce traffic congestion in the ghat area, more than 300 indigestible goods trucks are waiting for the ferry at an area of 3 km from Goalanda junction to Rajbari, 13 km back from the ghat.
According to the BIWTC authorities, the deepening of the water in the Padma has caused diversion at various points of the naval channel. Sand is being removed by dredging to solve the naval crisis. In the current situation, the ferries have to travel a lot, so it is taking more time to crowd the ferries at both the ports. The pontoon has also come down as the water level has dropped. As a result, it is taking more time to get the car on the ferry as the road is higher from the ghat. With that comes the pressure of extra vehicles. Due to these reasons, the Daulatdia-Paturia waterway has been jammed for some time.
Truck driver Md Liton Haque, who was going to Dhaka with bananas from Kushtia, said he was stuck in a serial in Daulatdia Union Parishad area. He said, I am stuck in the ghat area for 16 hours with the caller truck. Going a little further, I am now near the No. 1 ferry terminal. 16 hours passed but I still couldn't get to the ferry.
Some of the truck drivers said with a kind of regret, what will happen if the journalist Go Koche talks about our troubles? Even in his own writings, the tone of the ghat authorities and administration is not moving. I have been waiting in the ghat area for the ferry for a day and a half. I couldn't take a bath. I can't even eat the right kind of food, the price is high. We all know the hardships we truck drivers face.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Daulatdia Ghat Manager acknowledging the severe traffic congestion. Shihab Uddin said such a situation has been created due to the pressure of Dhaka-bound vehicles, crisis in the navigability of the river and diversion which has hampered the ferry traffic. To normalize this situation, we have taken all measures including 18 ferries.