Ferry service in Sagar Island to be normal soon

Kolkata: The ferry service between Sagar Island and the mainland is going to become normal soon with the South 24-Parganas district authorities carrying out the repairing work of Kachuberia jetty in war footing.

Kachuberia jetty acts as a crucial transit point between Sagar Island and the mainland. Hundreds of people board vessels from Lot-8 transit point in the mainland for Kanchuberia transit point in the Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas.

The jetty had collapsed on May 20 when super cyclone Amphan had hit Bengal with a speed of around 165 km per hour. In a bid to visit Sagar Island, people from Kolkata first need to reach lot-8 transit point and avail ferry service to cross the wide Muri Ganga river to reach the island.

"Kachuberia Jetty repairing work started on Monday. Efforts are on to restore it soon," said Dr P Ulaganathan, District Magistrate of South 24-Parganas.

"A ferry takes around 45 minutes to reach Kachuberia transit point from Harwood Point or Namkhana Transit Point. At usual time before the lockdown was imposed, we used to make at least seven trips on a normal day. Each vessel used to carry 150 to 250 passengers," said Tapas Jana, a vessel driver.

More than 10 lakh people from all across the country visit Sagar Island during Makarsankranti in the month of January to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganga and Bay of Bengal. The state government makes elaborate arrangement for smooth journey of the pilgrims and maintenance of the jetties is one of the crucial tasks the district administration takes up every year.