Skip to main content

"World class" RORO terminal Modi inaugurated: Filth in neigbhourhood, herds of cows on way, service suspended

Run down look of the new ROTO Ferry Terminal (left); way to the terminal in Ghogha
By Nandini Oza*
The people of the country may recall the inauguration of the RORO (roll-on/roll-off) ferry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ghogha, Gujarat, just before the state elections last year. The RORO ferry service connecting my hometown Bhavnagar to Surat was launched with a lot of fanfare by the PM himself, calling it the first of its kind. Ever since, I have been wanting to visit the place and I finally did so today.
Garbage dumps opposite the ferry terminal
To tell the truth, I was not at all surprised to find that the RORO service has been suspended for the time being as it is not able to sail through the currents of the gulf during the monsoon months. The ferry may start after September 15, I was told. The terminal had a deserted look. It also had a run down look with some of the billboards broken in less than a year of the inauguration.
Women of Ghogha struggling for water near the terminal
But what was disturbing was that the town of Ghogha, where the much-touted ferry terminal is located had an absolutely underdeveloped look with dusty potholes full of lanes. Garbage dumps were all around and women having to fetch water from open ponds near by. The women complained of severe water problem. Even the lane adjaent to the mamlatdar office was terribly filthy and run down.
Besides, to reach this "world-class" terminal one has to manoeuvre through herds of cows all along the highway cutting one's speed to half.
Herds of cows all along the highway to the RoRo terminal
It will be great if a journalist does a series on the number of projects inaugurated by Modi first as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and then as the PM in the state. A cost-benefit analysis and the status of the projects inaugurated by Modi would be good to know. But then, would the journalist be able to retain her job?
---
*Independent researcher and activist, formerly with Narmada Bachao Andolan. Blog: https://nandinioza.blogspot.com/

Comments

Uma said…
Why just the state? the whole country should be covered; but, like you said, who has the guts?
August 14, 2018
Post a Comment

TRENDING

Tribal rights under siege: Roundtable Seeks strong legal defence of land, jobs and PESA

By A Representative  Tribal rights activists, legal experts, tribal leaders, former officials and civil society representatives from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have called  for urgent action on tribal land rights, employment and PESA safeguards. They were participating in  roundtable on Constitutional Safeguards for Scheduled Tribes in the Telugu States at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad. Former Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao chaired the deliberations.
Post a Comment
»

The indirect toll: How US debt and dollar dominance shape Bangladesh's economy

By Md. Abu Saim*  The United States' federal debt has crossed $40 trillion. The number is almost impossible to comprehend. To put it in perspective, it equates to roughly $117,000 per American—and it would take nearly 110,000 years to repay at $1 million per day.
Post a Comment
»

Kamal Mitra Chenoy, scholar and student activist who never stopped being both

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy, who taught comparative politics and the Indian Constitution at the School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University, died on October 11. He was 75. A political scientist and public intellectual, he was known for his work on international relations, peace and conflict resolution, human rights and democratic values, and for his solidarity with students.
Post a Comment
»