Tourist boat services and ferry operations at Pochavaram in Andhra Pradesh’s Chinturu revenue division have been suspended from October 26 because of unfavourable weather conditions linked to a possible cyclonic storm, officials said.
Chinturu sub-collector and Integrated Tribal Development Agency project officer Chittapuli Narendra Padal said the weather system could bring heavy rainfall and raise the Godavari river’s water level, creating risks for passengers using the boating and ferry facilities.
The suspension follows weather forecasts indicating that a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm. The system is expected to bring heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning to coastal Andhra Pradesh and the Godavari river basin.
The order covers tourist boat services and ferry operations at the Pochavaram ferry point. It has been issued as a precautionary measure focused on passenger safety, with the river’s expected rise and the possibility of severe weather identified as the immediate risks.
Boat operators, owners and officials concerned have been instructed to strictly comply with the directive. The decision places a temporary halt on both tourism-related boating and ferry movement at the location, which serves as a point of river-based passenger activity in the Chinturu revenue division.
The administration said the order was issued in accordance with regulations under the Inland Vessels Act, 1917. The legislation provides the regulatory framework cited by authorities for controlling inland vessel operations, including the enforcement of safety-related directions.
The suspension will remain in force until further instructions are issued. Its continuation or withdrawal will therefore depend on subsequent directions from the administration after conditions in the Godavari basin and the surrounding coastal areas are assessed.
