Now, ferries to help flood-hit Prayagraj villages during monsoon 1j6r5n
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The Prayagraj government will operate ferries to connect rural areas cut off by swollen rivers during monsoon, with ₹64.50 lakh approved for the initiative. 20466c
The state government will be operating ferries in some rural areas of Prayagraj that get cut off for weeks owing to the swollen Ganga during peak monsoon. District officials said the public works department would monitor the initiative, which is a first in the region.
The government has approved ₹64.50 lakh for the initiative, as part of which three ferries will be operated on the Ganga from select ghats. A tender process has been initiated for this, and technical bids will be accepted on June 10, said Praveen Kumar Rai, the executive engineer (civil) of PWD’s Prayagraj provincial division.
Apart from the Ganga and the Yamuna, Prayagraj is surrounded by several small rivers. “Due to rising waters of the rivers in the rainy season, many villages get cut off for several weeks. So, this initiative is to ensure that people can continue to commute and the supply does not get disrupted during monsoon,” he added.
Earlier, the distinct istration deployed manually-operated boats to ensure connectivity to these villages during such times, the official said.
The three ghats that have been selected for the initiative are Sirsa, Tela and Laktaha Ghats. The executive engineer said each ferry would carry five times as many people as a boat. “Eighty to 100 people, with their luggage, can sit in a ferry at a time,” he added.
More than 10 lakh people live in 216 villages situated on the riverbanks in the trans-Ganga area of the district. At some places, pontoon bridges have been constructed. But during floods, they become unusable.
