Bhagalpur: The district administration is set to start ferry services to carry goods over the Ganga to reduce pressure on National Highway 80 that passes through the heart of Bhagalpur town.

Bhagalpur district magistrate Pranav Kumar said the Inland Waterways Authority of India has expressed interest to start the ferry services. Towards that, it is gearing up to start a ferry service from Bateshwar Sthan in Kahalgaon sub-division and Jalludas Tola of Tintanga, falling under Gopalpur block in the north.

It will construct two terminals across the Ganga.

One set of cargo - with 1,600 tonnes of fly ash from NTPC-Kahalgaon - was also despatched to Pandu in Guwahati, Assam, from Kahalgaon on Monday on a trial basis. After this, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is likely to start full-fledged service from October.

Prasant Kumar, deputy director, IWAI, Sahebganj, called on Pranav Kumar on Tuesday to discuss the procedure for land acquisition at Bateshwar Sthan and Jalludas Tola.

District magistrate Pranav said the initiative to divert trucks towards the river has been taken in view of the traffic problems in the town.

"I have spoken to IWAI authorities concerned and have requested them to consider my proposal. Since IWAI has been operating on the river for a long time, they are ready to go ahead with our proposal," he told mediapersons. "After the river route takes off, traffic from loaded trucks from Jharkhand will cross the river from Bateshwar Sthan in Kahalgaon and reach National Highway 31 (Assam road) directly. They would no longer have to travel through the Vikramshila Ganga bridge. The vehicle drivers will save on time, as the 70-80km distance will be reduced. Traffic snarls will also come down in the city."

Pranav said a committee, led by additional district magistrate-rank officer Rajesh Jha, has been formed to look after the land acquisition process so that construction of the two terminals at Bateshwar Sthan and Jalludas Tola is completed soon. "If government land is available, it can be given to IWAI on lease," said Pranav.