Transport dept introduces new roro vessel for Lot 8-Kachuberia route

Kolkata: The state Transport department on Monday introduced yet another roro vessel manufactured by Shalimar Waterworks which will be used in the riverine route from Lot 8 to Kachuberia during the Gangasagar Mela 2025.

The department first introduced the roro vessel on October 3.“We will have 10 barges for ferrying of pilgrims during the upcoming Gangasagar Mela. The two new ones will be part of the fleet of these 10 barges. There were three barges in the Gangasagar Mela 2024. We have laid special emphasis on the introduction of roro services with financial assistance from the World Bank. We will be starting a roro service from Raichak to Kukrahati and are also exploring more riverine routes for this service,” said Snehasis Chakraborty, state Transport minister. The roro vessels are large enough to accommodate almost a dozen trucks, buses etc to cross over in one go. It will be of immense help for the tourists travelling to Gangasagar and particularly for the pilgrims who come every year during the Gangasagar Mela.

Construction of jetties for ferry services as well as roros has been undertaken in places like Patharpratima, Gosaba, Minakhan in Sunderbans, aiming to connect a dozen islands in Sunderbans which are inaccessible by four wheelers including ambulances.

According to sources, the state government is facing a challenge in setting up jetties in and around Kolkata for the introduction of roro services due to land issues.

The state government is working on the revitalisation of the 137-year-old Shalimar Shipyard in Shibpur, Howrah, and further augment its business volume in the days to come. The state government has handed over works like manufacturing of roro vessels, bus repairing etc to Shalimar which has 100 odd staff including engineers. Shalimar Shipyard was taken over by the state government in 1980.

However, the original shipyard was established by Turner Morrison in 1885.