Team Goemkarponn
CHORAO: A week after it partially sank at the Chorao Island ferry ramp, the vessel Betim is still lying submerged, throwing daily travel plans of islanders and commuters into disarray. The prolonged disruption has raised questions over how soon the ferry can be retrieved and whether it will remain usable once salvaged.
Officials have promised that normal operations will resume once the submerged vessel is removed and the route is made safe for other ferries. But repeated attempts to lift the sunken ferry have failed so far.
River Navigation Department (RND) Minister Subhash Phal Dessai admitted on Saturday that an earlier recovery operation was unsuccessful. “We tried once, but could not get it out. Further efforts are underway and we will ensure the ferry is recovered intact—it won’t go to waste,” he told reporters.
Vikramsinh N Raje Bhosale, Director of the River Navigation Department, said workers attempted another lift on Saturday but the vessel could not be raised. “We’ve now secured a pontoon to the ferry. We’re hoping it can be lifted by tomorrow,” he said.
The Betim ferry began sinking early on Monday, June 23, after one of its tanks reportedly flooded. Three parked motorcycles also went down with it, though they were recovered later the same day.
The incident has triggered sharp criticism from the opposition Congress party, which called it an example of “criminal negligence.” A party spokesperson demanded the sacking of the Captain of Ports and an independent judicial inquiry into the failure to maintain ferry safety.
