The Bhagalpur administration has issued 12 safety guidelines for boats and ferries operating on the Ganga after a nearly 33-metre section of Vikramshila Setu collapsed, disrupting road traffic between south Bihar and the Kosi-Seemanchal region in north Bihar.
The measures were announced after a team led by Bhagalpur district magistrate Alankrita Pandey inspected several ghats, including Biada Ghat, to assess waterway transport arrangements, facilities and passenger safety. The administration has directed officials to maintain continuous monitoring and barricading at ghats, with particular vigilance during boarding and disembarking at Biada Ghat, Janhavi Chowk and other locations in the district.
Boat operators have been instructed not to carry passengers beyond the prescribed capacity. The administration said overloading would invite strict legal action. The instructions apply as the damage to the bridge has increased the importance of river transport for movement between areas connected by the Vikramshila Setu road route.
Magistrates, home guards, fire service personnel, disaster mitras, police teams and other designated personnel will monitor security arrangements at the ghats around the clock. Magistrates will inspect boats and ferries daily, checking railings, safety nets, entry and exit routes and other essential safety features.
Any deficiency identified during an inspection must be rectified immediately. Boats with serious safety defects will be suspended from operation until the problems are resolved. Officials have also been told to ensure the availability of life jackets and other safety equipment on vessels.
The guidelines require additional caution when vulnerable passengers are being transported, including people who are seriously ill. Medical assistance and alternative safe transport will be arranged when required for critically ill patients, pregnant women and other high-risk passengers. Doctors, medical officers, medical teams and ambulance personnel will be deployed at the concerned ghats, with emergency medical assistance kept ready.
The administration has also prescribed legal permissions, technical inspections and compliance with safety standards before new boats or ferries are put into service. This places the operation of additional vessels within an administrative approval and inspection framework rather than allowing services to expand without documented checks.
Personnel deployed at each ghat must record attendance, inspection dates and timings, identified deficiencies and corrective measures every day. Officials have further been directed to preserve photographs documenting security arrangements and the condition of boats.
The instructions follow the collapse of part of Vikramshila Setu, a key road connection between south Bihar and the Kosi-Seemanchal region. The administration’s next steps include round-the-clock monitoring, daily boat inspections, correction of identified deficiencies and readiness of medical and alternative transport support at the ghats.
