The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) suspended the all boat and ferry services between the North and South Banks of the Brahmaputra river. This step has been taken after the rapid rise in the water levels in the river.
The order came late on Sunday as the water level is predicted to rise over the danger level in next 2-3 days. So all boats / ferries are suspended from the evening of 21st June to the evening of 24th of June. The re-opening is subject to recession of the level of water.
Its a common practice to suspend ferry services in the monsoons and during windy conditions in Guwahati region. These steps are taken in order to be safe from untoward activities that may be caused by the rising waters.
Buses and other forms of public transport are still open for the public to cross the river. But compared to these options, the ferry option is both cheaper and faster. Thus a lot of people prefer to use this option instead of the road.
Ferry and boat services were also suspended some time back in order to prevent further spreading of the Covid – 19 pandemic, and reopened recently.
