Operation stalled due to high tide; probe ordered into incident
PANAJI
The River Navigation Department (RND) will resume efforts to salvage the partially submerged ferryboat at the Chorao jetty on Wednesday morning, with help from a private agency.
RND Director Vikramsinh Raje Bhosale said the operation is expected to begin around 10 am or 11 am, during high tide. Machinery needed for the work was arranged on Tuesday.
“On Monday, we tried to pump out the water but could not do so because of the tide. We were unable to place the pump on the ferryboat, so the operation was stalled. A proposal to hire a private agency for the salvage has been submitted and we expect quick approval to restart by Wednesday,” Bhosale told The Goan.
The incident happened early Monday during non-operational hours when the ferryboat partially sank. No one was on board, but three staff motorcycles were submerged.
Initial checks suggest that rainwater entered one of the six tanks through a blocked outlet. River Navigation Minister Subhash Phal Dessai, who visited the site, ordered a high-level inquiry and a full audit of all ferryboats. The department has blamed the coxswain for not checking and draining the tanks.
Officials said the hull is intact and the ferry, last certified in February 2025, is structurally safe. Ferry services on the Chorao route have continued without disruption, with five other ferries operating as usual.
