Some fishermen in Nadia, Hooghly and parts of East Burdwan districts are ferrying passengers in their small country boats across the Hooghly and Bhagirathi rivers amid fog-induced low visibility in violation of government norms and putting their lives and those of their passengers at risk.

The government-monitored ferry service has been suspended for the past few days because of heavy fog. However, fishermen have been ferrying passengers and two-wheelers on country boats.

Multiple sources this correspondent spoke to alleged that the police and administration of the three districts have remained mute spectators to the illegal operation of fishing boats ferrying passengers amid fog. Furthermore, plying fishing boats to ferry passengers is banned in the state, an official of the Nadia administration said.

A few lakhs regularly use the ferry service to cross Hooghly and Bhagirathi to visit prominent towns in Nadia like Santipur, Chakdaha, Ranaghat, Nabadwip, Nakashipara on the one side and those like Balagarh, Milangarh, Guptipara, Kalna, Katwa in Hooghly and East Burdwan districts on the other side. To these passengers the ferry service is a lifeline, said a Santipur resident.

A Trinamul activist and member of Nrisinhapur gram panchayat in Nadia, which connects Kalna in East Burdwan on the other side, said: "However, nowadays every day fishermen are ferrying passengers on their small boats despite fog and an accident can occur any time. On several occasions, I have tried to stop the illegal service and urged police to take action against the fishermen. However, corrupt ways help the fishermen carry on. The East Burdwan administration has also never bothered to act even after we informed them."

He also blamed the passengers availing the illegal service despite the risk to their lives.

Sources said a few days ago a group of passengers had a close shave when a fully-loaded fishing boat hit another in the fog.

Sources in the Nadia administration argued that the administrative control of main ferry ghats was with Hooghly and East Burdwan.

"They carry out the tender process to give ferry service rights on lease," said an official in Nadia and accused the administration in Hooghly and East Burdwan of doing little to stop the illegal ferry service.

Gopal Bhattacharyya, an employee of the agency that operates the authorised ferry service between Kalna and Santipur, said: "We urged the police to stop the illegal service, particularly during fog. But Kalna police don't take action."

A Kalna police officer refuted the charge. "Most illegal boat services do not operate from designated ferry ghats but from isolated stretches where monitoring is usually absent," he claimed.

Fishermen blamed passengers and claimed they were forced to operate under pressure from them.

"When the official service is suspended amid fog, daily passengers force us to ferry them. Yes, we accept money, but they force us to ferry them," a fisherman from Kalna said.

Sujit Sinha, a passenger from Kalna who regularly crosses the Hooghly river to catch a Sealdah-bound train from Santipur, said: "We know sailing amid fog is risky. But lack of an alternative commute compels us."

Contacted, Ranaghat subdivisional officer Raunak Agarwal said: "I will look into the matter and talk to all stakeholders so that the illegal service is stopped."