Ghogha-Dahej Ro-Ro ferry to begin February 24 after five months

RAJKOT: The Ghogha-Dahej Ro-Ro ferry service is likely to resume from February 24, nearly five months after it was suspended due to siltation at Dahej port.
The announcement in this regard was made by the ferry operator Indigo Seaways Pvt Ltd on Friday. Though the dredging work has not begun and the situation remains unchanged as it was five months back, the operator has decided to resume operations after intervention of union shipping ministry.
The Indigo Seaways Pvt Ltd in a statement said, “Presently, the ferry will operate in tide and during day time only.It will make one round trip each day.” The statement also said that the government has assured them that dredging service will provide sufficient draft for ferry for two round trip a day.
The ferry service was suspended in September last year because there was lack of depth at Dahej port and it was posing the threat of accident for the ferry service to operate.
According to sources, the dredging work was not found to be satisfactory for the ferry service to resume. The Bhavnagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and industrial Association of Alang shipbreaking represented to the minister of shipping Mansukh Mandavia to resume the service. They argued that the service would benefit their business.
Even after the intervention of the Central government the ferry will only make one trip a day instead of two trips, as was the case before the suspension of service last year.
The ferry operator also said that if they do not get depth the required draft at Dahej, they might suspend the service again.