After 44 days, Assam's water ferry services starts

Guwahati, May 7 (IANS) After one and a half months, Assam's Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department on Thursday resumed the passenger ferry services over river Brahmaputra adhering to all the Covid-19 and lockdown norms, top officials said.IWT Department Director Pabitra Ram Khound said that from Thursday, the passenger ferry services would continue to operate daily. "All the Covid-19 norms including social distancing, wearing of face masks, hand-washing and sanitisation are being followed before moving the each vessel from the 'Ghats'," Khound told iANS over phone.Each vessel is carrying passengers amounting to only 50 per cent of the total seating capacity.The ferry services, which had suspended in Assam when the first phase of the lockdown began on March 25, resumed from Guwahati to North Guwahati, Guwahati to Madhyamkhanda, Rajaduwar to Guwahati and Guwahati to Kuruwa routes.The ferry services, operated by the IWT Department, had already started from May 4 in the Majuli (eastern Assam) and Jorhat route.Assam Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Wednesday has directed the IWT Department to resume its passenger ferry services in Guwahati. The Assam Inland Water Transport Department was set up in 1958.
--IANS sc/vd