Bhubaneswar: Around 100 passengers were stranded when a ferry craft got stuck on the Chilika lake on Wednesday morning.

The operator of the ferry, which was also carrying two buses and around 20 motorcycles, said the incident took place because of a technical glitch.

Another boat later rescued the ferry from around 200m from Satapada in the middle of the lake by pulling the stranded vessel ashore.

The incident sparked widespread resentment from commuters and local villagers. "The service is the lifeline for people staying at Janhikuda village and is the only mode of transportation. The vessel faced similar problems in the recent past and we are the ones suffering as a result," said a villager.

The Chilika Development Authority officials, however, claimed that the vessel got stuck in the mud as the heavy wind made it difficult to control the vessel.

"Though the vessel is a decade old, we conduct regular maintenance. We have never compromised with the safety of passengers," said an official.

The vessel has been operating since 2008 for people between Satapada and Janhikuda, covering 4.1km through the lake.

Around 500 people use the vessel daily. Ganjam residents also use the service to reach Puri from the opposite side of the lake.

The vessel operates four times a day from each direction and charges Rs 5 per person per trip.

They said a new vessel was likely to be introduced in August to ease commuter problems.

The development authority's additional chief executive Sasmita Lenka said the new vessel was being constructed for Rs 1 crore.

"The vessel, with toilet facility, is likely to be launched in August. We have also proposed to procure another ferry to improve connectivity under the Sagaramala project and proposed de-silting of the ferry route," said Lenka.