Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Saturday suspended launch services on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes as Cyclone Mocha approaches the coast. Traffic Inspector at the Ghat, Aftab Hossain, said launch services remained suspended from Saturday morning. The order will remain in force until further notice. Also Read: Cyclone Mocha: Launch services on Chandpur route suspended According to the latest weather bulletin, the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha over east central Bay and the adjoining area is likely to intensify further, move in a north-northwesterly direction and cross Cox’s Bazar-North Myanmar coast by 6 pm on Sunday (May 14).    

Eid holidaymakers have been suffering since Saturday morning to cross the Padma River as a 10-kilometer long tailback was created on Dhaka-Khulna highway and regional road adjacent to Daulatdia ferry terminal. Hundreds of Dhaka-bound passengers thronged the ferry terminal after celebrating Eid with dear and near ones in the village home. But due to a shortage of ferries and rush of Dhaka-bound  passenger, a long traffic jam was created on the highway and regional road connected to the ferry ghat. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the road and  people had to wait for five to seven hours in Goalanda for crossing the river. BIWTC officials said the tailback was created near Daulatdia ferry terminal due to huge number of private cars as people were returning to Dhaka to join the office on Sunday. The authorities are trying to reduce the traffic gridlock  but nothing works properly due to the extra pressure of vehicles. Also read: Return rush at Paturia ferry terminal Rafiqul Islam, a job holder of a private company in Dhaka said, he along with his family celebrated Eid in his village home in Faridpur. The vehicle distance between his home and Daulatdia ghat is only 40 minutes. He started the journey in the morning and remained stuck in traffic jam for seven hours. Many people were seen going to the ferry terminal on foot as they wanted to avoid long traffic jam on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. Garment worker Parul said, “After Eid vacation, my office will reopen tomorrow (Sunday). But I am stranded on the road near the ferry ghat for hours. Probably, I will not get enough time for taking rest before starting the office tomorrow morning." Also read: Ferry services resume on Paturia-Daulatdia route after 4 hours Daulatdia ghat police station officer-in-charge Swapan Kumar Majumder said an additional 200 police members have been deployed at the ghat. They are patrolling at various points of the highway and are working to reduce  traffic jams, he said.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday requested the Dhaka-bound passengers to use the Daulatdia route to cross the Padma River  as a small number of ferries are operating at Shimulia. "People have been able to go home smoothly to celebrate Eid. Therefore, the Dhaka-bound passengers are urged to use Daulatdia terminal to return to Dhaka to avoid mad rush," he said while exchanging Eid greetings with reporters at the ministry. Also read: Khalid urges passengers to cross river through Paturia instead of Shimulia Asked if any steps will be taken to increase the number of ferries at Shimulia terminal, the state minister said, "We have repeatedly requested the home-bound people to use Paturia Ghat earlier because limited ferry arrangements have been made for the overall safety of the Padma Bridge.” The law enforcers and others concerned are performing their duties properly to prevent any untoward situation, he added. Also read: Chaos at Paturia ghat as 300 cars wait to cross Padma

In just two hours choppy Padma River devoured Daulatdia ferry terminal number four, a mosque, land and houses on Monday as severe erosion played havoc in Mondayat Siddique Kazipara area in Goalundo upazila. About 20 more families evacuated their houses as relentless river erosion devastated the area.   Local villagers scurried to save their belongings as the structures and the land disappeared into the river before being washed away by the tide between 8 am and 10 am. Imam of the Siddique Kazipara Jame Mosque, Hafez Jobayer Hossain said a portion of the residential slipped into water first and then tube well, houses, his own home and half of the concrete building was gulped by the river. Siddique Kazi, after whose ancestors the area was named, said for last few days whirlpools and strong currents started scrapping away lands but it intensified most today. READ: 10 Padma bridge guards held over alleged murder “Giobags were not dumped in places where it should been even after our request,” he said. Upazila Parishad member Ashraful Islam said in ward-2 area from Daulatdia launch terminal to ferry terminal-5 around 200 families and in Mashjidsheikh Para area from launch terminal to ferry terminal-1 some 600 to 800 families are threatened by rapid erosion. Deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Aricha office Makbul Hossain said regular work to prevent erosion was going on at the launch terminal area but no work was done at terminal four as it was not affected by erosion. Immediately after being informed of the erosion direction was given to dump giobags to prevent the erosion, he said.   Assistant director general (marine) of  BIWTC Aricha office, Abdus Sattar said, due to erosion and strong current no ferries could anchor at terminal-4 for last two weeks and terminal-3 is also at risk. Currently terminal 5,6 and 7 is being used, said the official. Locals said, on August 11 and 12  around 100 meter of the launch terminal went into the river due to erosion. READ: Authority places lighted buoy to protect Padma Bridge from ferries From July 13 to August 9 at least three times the locals faced erosion and many families had to evacuate from their house, they said. UP chairman, Abdur Rahman demanded of the government steps to prevent the erosion as every year 200 families on an average lose their land to river erosion within this 8km area.

Ferry services on the key Paturia-Daulatdia route resumed after a five-hour suspension on Wednesday morning after visibility improved.