30 drowned in Panguchi river in 12 years
Bagerhat Correspondent :
In spite of repeated assurance given by the government no bridge was constructed over the mighty river Panguchi flowing with strong current on Signboard Bazar-Sharankhola Regional Highway in Bagerhat district so far.
As a result, at least 5 lakh people of Morrelganj, Sharankhola, Mongla, Rampal, Mathbaria and Bhandaria Upazils (of Bagerhat and Pirojpur districts) have been suffering a lot of inconveniences to cross the river for years together and consequently, very often accidents are being happened.
As many as 30 persons were drowned in the river Panguchi while they tried to cross the mighty Panguchi during the last 12 years alone.
This river is a part of Magla-Ghasiakhali international channel and that is why the movement of various kinds of heavy water vessels increased to a great extent in the river.
Consequently, people have been crossing the river which is more than one kilometer in width by engine run small ferry boats and trawlers risking their lives for years together.
According to the Roads and Highways Department, Bagerhat district, the project for the construction of a Bridge over the river Panguchi was approved in the ECNEC in the year 2021.
But for want of allocation of fund tender could not be invited in order to translate the project in practice.
The ferry trawlers and boats are plying between Solombaria ferry ghat situated on the Northern bank of the river and Morrelganj ferry ghat situated on the southern bank of the same.
A number of people like Ibrahim Hossain, Shankar Chandra Saha, Ilyas Shikdar, Bilkis Aktar who are to cross the river at least twice in a day by small ferry trawlers and ferry boats risking their lives told, tourists who like to visit Sundarbans via Sharankhola are to cross this mighty river Panguchi flowing with strong current.
About 5 lakh people of five Upazilas mentioned earlier are to cross the river daily in order to attend to educational institutions, offices and other establishments to perform the day to day activities.
There are some rules and regulations to conduct the ferry service and accordingly, ferry boats and trawlers are allowed to carry highest 30 passengers.
But in practice at this ferry ghat each boat and trawler carries one hundred passengers or more after violating the code of conduct.
So, there is none to look after the matter. It was mentioned above that the river Panguchi is a part of Mongla-Ghasiakhali international channel and that is why the movement of the heavy water vessels cargo ships, lighter ships and bulkheads increased to a great extent in the river Panguchi.
So, the ferry trawlers and boats are to cross the river with risks and consequently, very often mishap happens here. As a result, some 30 persons were killed after drowning in the river Panguchi during the last 12 years alone.
On March 18 in the year 2017 as many as 5 children, 9 women and 5 men were drowned in the river when an overcrowded ferry capsized in the river.
The suffering people are strongly demanding the construction of a bridge over the river Panguchi without any delay in order to free the people from untold sufferings.