Assam transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary has imposed a blanket ban on mechanised country boats (bhutbhutis) after the unfortunate boat mishap along the banks of the Brahmaputra.
Due to this boat ban in Assam, the water transportation system is in trouble. Here I would like to focus on the Goalpara district’s situation. I noticed in the last couple of days that many students who are studying in Goalpara college, as well as other private colleges, are primarily from village areas or char areas of the entire district. Most of them are staying in hostels, but their parents can not come to meet them due to this boat ban. Also, mechanised boats are the cheapest mode of transportation for the people in the area. They can use road lines but it is expensive for them, and during floods, the road lines are also closed. The ban is turning out not be a huge problem for the people in the area as they aren’t left with any viable mode of transportation.