Assam’s Inland Water Transport department is all set to start night ferry services on the Brahmaputra river from today. This was announced by the chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a conference. The first journey will be conducted today at 9 PM from Guwahati to North Guwahati and return back.
This services will be further assisted by India’s first Night Navigation Mobile Application. This application will help the ferries to navigate safely between the treacherous sand banks on the river. This app was developed by the department with K. Raju of IIT Madras. Other states too will be be able to use this app after proper usage and training for safe navigation.
The ferry services on the Brahmaputra is a integral part of the communication in the state. It is of upmost importance both in terms of passenger and goods moving from one bank to another. But as the current scenario goes, ferries and boats are not allowed in the river at night. Only exceptions being river police petrol vehicles and river ambulances. This limitation is a safety measure against rough currents and unpredictable sand banks in the Brahmaputra river.
Allowing night ferry services on the river will help in the extension of business hours of establishments. Since the waterways routes are usually faster as well as cheaper compared to the land routes of the region, a lot of people prefer to use these services. And with the introduction of modern vessels, the safety levels have gone up manifolds. This service is expected to be rolled out in the other major river crossings like Majuli – Jorhat and Dhubri routes after Guwahati.
Also read about India’s first water taxi services.
