-- Samir Umarye Travelling from Pilgao to Marcela should not have taken more than 10 minutes, but erratic ferry services have forced residents of Pilgao to travel 15 kms for an hour-long detour.
By *SAMIR UMARYE BICHOLIM* | 09 Mar, 2015, 10:28PM IST BICHOLIM: The irregular ferry service along the Sarmanas (Pilgao)-Tar (St Estevam) route tested public patience when one of two ferries broke down and was out of operation for over eight days. This left a large number of commuters, especially those on four-wheelers, from Bicholim to rely on only one ferry along the route. “When one ferry breaks down, commuters have to wait patiently for hours on end. During this time, the lone ferry quickly gets filled with two-wheelers and hence, those travelling by four-wheelers have to go back via the Amona Bridge,” complained Devidas Prabhugaonkar of Pilgao. “Last week, there was only one ferry in operation and many people from Bicholim side reached the ferry wharf, only to return disappointed. The government should look into the matter on a priority basis and work out a permanent solution.” “Even though there are two ferries, they are insufficient and during low tide, ferries cannot run on full load and this severely affects commuters. The government should either build a bridge or if that is not possible, a bundh should be constructed between Pilgao and Amona to facilitate the movement of light vehicles,” Prabhugaonkar added. According to Prabhugaonkar, a small traditional pathway along the banks of the river in the past had enabled people travel between Pilgao and Amona. “If this path is rebuilt, it will not only be economical but would also help people when there are insufficient ferries,” said Prabhugaonkar. Incidentally, irregular ferry service is not the only problem along this route. “The ferry ramp is badly damaged and the government has not taken any steps to rebuild the ramp. Some days back, iron rods were seen jutting out from the ramp. After the problem was highlighted in the media, authorities merely cut the rods, but did not bother repair the ramp,” said Deelip Gawas of Pilgao. “The government is constructing several bridges in other parts of the State, but it has not taken any initiative to build a bridge along this route,” regretted Gawas. “Ferry services are also affected and delayed by tides and the location of one ferry ramp in the river. The ferry ramp on the Tar (St Estevam) side is built on an interior and narrow portion of the riverbank. As a result, one ferry has to wait in the main river till the other ferry comes out into the main river,” Gawas added. “Earlier, some de-silting work was undertaken on this stretch of the river, but it was not of much help. There is a problem in building a ramp near the main river, as much of the property leading towards the river on the Tar side is privately owned.” When contacted, Pilgao Panch Anil Naik also complained about the erratic ferry services and insisted that something needed to be done in this regard. “The problem is not just with the ferry, but the staff operating the ferry services. They are never on time and during low tide, they deliberately delay the ferry service, causing problems to the commuters. We had earlier passed a resolution that the panchayat would write to authorities, but despite doing this, nothing fruitful has happened so far,” said Naik. “There are several options possible, but what is needed is a will to consider the options. If a bridge is not possible due to some reason or the other, the government could at least increase the number of ferries along this route for the benefit of people from Pilgao,” he added.
