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Time of India
04-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ferry capsized at Chorao finally pulled out of water after 11 days
Panaji: The ferry boat called Betim, docked at Chorao island ramp, which was submerged since June 23, was safely pulled out of the water after 11 days. A preliminary inspection by the river navigation department (RND) showed that there was no puncture to the hull. The vessel was taken to the RND marine workshop for further inspection and repairs. 'Primary observations reveal that there is no major damage to the vessel,' RND director Vikram Rajebhosale told TOI . After several failed efforts to salvage the vessel using pontoons and even pumping out the water from its other rooms, the RND on Friday pressed a 50-tonne crane into service to salvage the partially submerged vessel. However, persistently high-water levels caused by heavy rainfall kept flooding the vessel's engine room. 'We managed to drain the water out of the engine room with the help of salvagers and a crane, following which the vessel was refloated,' Rajebhosale said. 'After repairs at the marine workshop, we will repaint the vessel, resurvey it, and put it back on the Chorao route within a month.' Preliminary investigations on the day it capsized suggested that the vessel sank due to rainwater accumulating in the tanks, which were not drained. The sudden flooding caused the ferry to lose stability and submerge near the Chorao jetty. On Wednesday, the RND crew succeeded in lifting the vessel by 5m and managed to drain water from most of the compartments. However, water trapped inside the engine room was a challenge as it required the ferry to be lifted further to allow proper pumping.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Time of India
Chorao villagers seek fare relief on new RoRo ferry
Panaji: Chorao Island representatives met with the river navigation department (RND) officials to discuss the launch of RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) ferry services next week on the Chorao-Ribandar route. They raised concerns over the proposed fares. 'In the existing system, the ferry services are free for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. However, we were informed that the new RoRo ferries will charge vehicle owners, owing to which, we have requested the RND through the Chorao panchayat to give us some relief,' a villager said. Ferry travel is free for pedestrians and two-wheelers, and four-wheelers will be charged Rs 30 and Rs 15 with a pass. Rent-a-cars will be charged Rs 100, while tourist vehicles will be charged Rs 300. Tourists who take joy rides will be charged Rs 50 per day. The pass will be managed via a special app costing Rs 900 per month. The RND assured villagers that the pass system will allow multiple daily trips. The villagers agreed and also supported the RND charging tourists a higher fare for the rides, as well as demanding that the contact details of all RND officials be displayed on RoRos for passenger convenience. 'The RoRo has an air-conditioned passenger cabin. We are, therefore, expecting tourist footfalls aboard the ferry, especially since many tourists tend to take the ferry merely to enjoy the ride,' said RND director, Vikram Rajebhosale. The two RoRo ferries will operate from 7am to 9pm, while three regular ferryboats will ply from 9pm to 7am. The travel time on the ferry route has been reduced from 25 to 13 minutes.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Week-long struggle to salvage capsized ferry continues
Panaji: The river navigation department (RND) is still grappling with rescuing the ferryboat, Betim, that has remained submerged for an entire week near Chorao island despite relentless salvage efforts by the RND. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to RND officials, poor visibility beneath the water has hampered divers' attempts to secure the vessel to a pontoon on Sunday. 'The ferryboat has to be tied to the pontoon underwater, which only divers can do. But due to poor visibility, the two divers were not able to fix the pontoon's chain properly. The chain slipped off during multiple attempts, making it impossible to complete the task on Sunday,' RND director Vikram Rajebhosale said. He further said that the operation could not be rushed, as it risked further damage to the vessel. 'We may require some more chains on the pontoon to secure the vessel properly,' he added. Earlier during the week, pontoons were hired to aid the salvage, but shallow waters along the riverbank made it impossible to position them. This forced the department to alter its strategy. A team of 15 RND staff, supported by a diver and a special salvager crane, worked through Friday to refloat the Betim but were thwarted by high tide and technical setbacks. Over the weekend, the team added another diver and circled back to using the pontoon method, but the operation has yet to succeed. In the meantime, to ensure that daily commuters are not stranded, two additional ferries have been deployed on the Chorao route to maintain connectivity for the islanders.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Two days on, ferry remains under water
Panaji: Ferry boat 'Betim' remains submerged at its dock at Chorao for the second consecutive day after sinking on Monday. Authorities have initiated salvage operations, but the retrieval process is delayed due to technical and logistical challenges. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Machinery is being mobilised. A pontoon crane with pumps has already arrived at the site. Two additional pontoons are expected to reach by 11pm on Wednesday. We will begin salvage operations from tomorrow,' said Vikram Rajebhosale, director of the river navigation department (RND). The ferry, serving the Chorao route, sank after one of its tanks got flooded. Preliminary investigations by the RND suggest that the incident could be caused by inadequate drainage from the tanks, particularly the air tanks positioned at the bottom of the vessel. These air tanks are critical for maintaining the buoyancy of the ferry. On Monday, the fire brigade was called in to assist in the operation, deploying large water pumps to try and drain the water from the vessel. However, despite their efforts, the vessel could not be raised. RND minister Subhash Phal Dessai also visited the site on Monday and said, 'Such incidents should not lead to a calamity in future. A safety and structural audit of all ferries will be done.'
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain disrupts ferry service on 3 routes
Panaji: Heavy rainfall on Monday caused disruptions to three ferry boats on different routes in the state— Old Goa, Ribandar, and Betim. The vessels encountered problems when ropes and discarded fishing nets entangled in their propellers, overloading the engines and gearboxes. Despite the movement of each of the three ferries being slowed due to the issue, all passengers reached their destinations safely. 'The affected ferries were promptly taken to the river navigation department (RND) workshop, where the entangled debris was removed,' said RND director Vikram Rajebhosale. He noted that windy weather conditions further reduced ferry speeds across routes throughout the day. The southwest monsoon set over Goa on May 25, two weeks ahead of its usual onset date of June 5. The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert up to May 29, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Goa accompanied by squally winds of 40–50 km/hour, gusting up to 60 km/hour. The RND will begin trial runs for the new roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ferries on the Ribandar-Chorao route this week. 'The two vessels will be tested under different tidal conditions to evaluate their performance and allow for adjustments to optimise operations on the route,' Rajebhosale said.
