Guwahati, October 23: Assam’s Transport Minister Keshab Mahanta has instructed officials from the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department to take immediate action to resume ferry services between Nimatighat in Jorhat district and Kamalabari in Majuli before the Raas Festival.
The ferry operations have been halted since October 20 due to a significant drop in the water level of the Brahmaputra River, which has led to the emergence of new sandbanks obstructing the waterway towards Kamalabari.
In a post on X, Mahanta wrote: “I visited Nimati Ghat today and had a detailed discussion on the issue with DC Jorhat, Director Inland Waterways and other officials and engineers to swiftly restore regular operations on the route.”
“The Inland Water Transport Department has already made arrangements for a dredger from Dibrugarh to deepen the waterway and facilitate ferry services,” Mahanta said on the post.
“Also, discussed the technical aspects of dredging for river deepening with the DC, Departmental Directors and engineers. The Chairman of the OBC Board, Majuli was also present,” he added.
On Wednesday, Mahanta visited the Nimatighat and Kamalabari ferry ghats to assess the condition of the waterway connecting these locations. During his morning visit to Nimatighat, he engaged with Jorhat District Commissioner Jay Shiwani, IWT Director Susmita Kakati, and Joint Director Bikramaditya Chowdhury, along with other departmental officers.
Mahanta discussed the necessary measures to resume regular ferry services as soon as possible, addressing the inconvenience faced by travellers relying on this route. Following the inspection at Nimatighat, he travelled to Kamalabari via the Oflamukh ferry, where he conducted a visual inspection of the environment and the ferry facilities.
Accompanied by Majuli MLA Bhuvan Gam, District Commissioner Ratul Pathak, and IWT Director Susmita Kakati, the minister took a speedboat from Kamalabari to Darbar Chapri to inspect the challenging wavy section of the Majuli-Jorhat waterway. During this visit, he was briefed on the technical aspects of dredging to increase the river’s depth in that area.
The minister convened a meeting with District Commissioner Pathak, IWT Director Kakati, Majuli Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Das, and other officials to discuss measures to reopen the ferry service by dredging the Kamalabari-Nimatighat waterway and improving the water level.
They also addressed the precautions needed to maintain road safety for ferry traffic during the dry season, expected to last until March-April.
Mahanta instructed the IWT officials to expedite the reopening of the Kamalabari ferry within a week, in anticipation of the Ras festival in Majuli.
The meeting included various department officials, emphasizing a collaborative approach to resolve the issues facing the ferry services.
