PANAJI
Ferry services on the Chorao“Ribandar route were disrupted again on Monday, just over a month after a similar incident, when a net rope got stuck in the propeller of the Ro-Ro vessel Dwarka. Passengers were left stranded for nearly an hour.
The River Navigation Department (RND) called it a case of “normal operational difficulties.”
The ferry was later towed to the ramp and taken for repairs.
RND Director Vikramsingh Raje Bhonsle said the Ro-Ro resumed service within three to four hours.
“Unlike conventional ferries, which take at least two days to return after such issues, the Ro-Ro’s propeller can be lifted and cleared of debris without sending the vessel to the slipway,” he said.
Earlier, soon after its launch, the Ro-Ro had also been stuck when a discarded fishing net got tangled around its propeller, causing a temporary halt in services.
Officials said discarded nets and river debris continue to pose risks to ferry operations. The RND has already appealed to fishermen and the public not to dump waste in rivers.
River Navigation Minister Subhash Phal Dessai said garbage and debris dumped in the river were to blame, noting that this was the fourth such incident.
