Paturia-Daulatdia launch services resume after 13 hours

Launch services on the Paturia-Daulatdia waterway resumed this morning after a 13-hour suspension.

The authorities had suspended the operations yesterday evening as the ramp of the temporary launch ghat became unusable due to the strong current of the Padma River, said Panna Lal Nandi, manager of the launch ghat.

"The launch services resumed around 7:30am from the Karaitala area next to Paturia No 1 Ferry Ghat on a temporary basis. However, there is no pontoon here. We are crossing passengers with great difficulty. A permanent launch wharf should be arranged for us quickly. Otherwise, the launch movement on this waterway will be stopped," he said.

After Paturia launch ghat was washed away by river erosion, services were temporarily shifted to the Paturia No 2 Ferry Ghat. However, the authorities suspended launch operations from 6:30pm yesterday as the soil beneath the ferry ghat ramp was washed away by the strong current, cutting off launch communication with 21 districts in the country's southwestern region.