Team Goemkarponn
CHORAO: After more than ten days of repeated failures and frustrating delays, the Betim ferry that had partially sunk at the Chorao jetty was successfully refloated around 10:15 am on Friday, paving the way for its repair and eventual return to service.
Officials confirmed the vessel will now be towed to the River Navigation Department (RND) Marine Workshop at Betim for a thorough damage assessment and repairs. A preliminary inspection has found no hole in the bottom of the ferry, raising hopes for a quicker restoration. Authorities said it is expected to be repaired and back in service within a month.
The salvage operation was carried out by the RND with assistance from two private agencies, whose combined resources—including a second pontoon equipped with an additional crane—finally made the successful lift possible.
The incident had disrupted ferry services on the busy route, but authorities have assured that full safety checks will be conducted before the vessel returns to operation.
The complex effort received a crucial boost this week with the arrival of the second pontoon at Chorao Island. The extra equipment enabled a full-scale attempt to lift the ferry, which had been stuck at the Chorao ramp since July 23 after one of its tanks flooded.
While three motorcycles that sank with the ferry were recovered the same day, repeated efforts to raise the vessel had failed for over ten days. Divers struggled with poor underwater visibility, which caused chains meant to secure the hull from below to slip off repeatedly in the murky water.
“Securing it from below is essential, but divers couldn’t see well enough to do it,” RND Director Vikram Raje Bhosale explained earlier this week.
Local residents, who watched the drawn-out operation with growing anxiety, expressed cautious optimism after the second pontoon arrived. “Hopefully they can now lift the ferry soon. Once it’s secured, they can pump out the water and make it float again,” Chorao resident Eusebio D’Silva said on Thursday.
Past salvage attempts using hired pontoons had failed due to the riverbank’s shallow conditions, technical issues, and shifting tides. Officials said the improved setup this time finally overcame those obstacles, bringing relief to commuters and local authorities alike.
