GUWAHATI: On the morning of December 28, a ferry, MV Shapteshwari, en route from Nimati Ghat to Majuli, faced a temporary stall in the Brahmaputra River near Majuli in Assam.
The ferry, laden with multiple vehicles and carrying 108 passengers, encountered difficulties due to decreasing water levels near the Kamalabadi dock.
The Executive Engineer of Inland Water Transport (IWT), Majuli subdivision, Ashim Baruah, while speaking to GPlus provided insights into the situation. He said that the ferry came to a halt just 5 minutes away from the dock.
Responding promptly to the situation, authorities dispatched another boat to ferry the passengers safely to Kamalabari Ghat and transport the vehicles to their destination.
Baruah acknowledged to GPlus that such scenarios are becoming increasingly common due to the significant decrease in the water level of the Brahmaputra River.
In response to the prevailing conditions, larger ships have been temporarily suspended from operating on the river. He emphasised that while incidents like these are frequent, the particular occurrence was not a major crisis.
It may be noted that contrary to reports circulating in various media outlets, the ferry was not stranded, as clarified by the official of IWT.