Guj Ro-Ro ferry service suspended from Tue due to Narmada silt

The roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service in Gujarat will be suspended from Tuesday due to accumulation of silt at Dahej Terminal, said officials.

The ferry service was inaugurated in October, 2017 and had cut travel time between Ghogha in Bhavnagar and Dahej in Bharuch from eight hours by road to three hours by sea.

"Dahej Terminal is situated at the mouth of Narmada river, at a point where it meets the Arabian Sea. Due to huge inflow of water in Narmada river, there has been unexpected siltation in the navigation channel at Dahej Ro-Ro terminal," a Gujarat Maritime Board official said.

A release from GMB stated that siltation had caused decrease in water level to one metre, leading to a situation that was unsafe to operate the ferry, adding that dredging operations to remove the silt would begin from first week of October.

Indigo Seaways Private Limited, which operates the ferry, published a notice on its website about the suspension of service from September 24.

Speaking on the issue, GMB CEO Mukesh Kumar said, "Water is continuously being discharged from Sardar Sarovar Dam into Narmada river. As a result, the Narmada is swelling after almost six years."