Guwahati, July 13: An 85-year-old man was swept away by swift currents while taking a bath in the Brahmaputra river in Majuli island on Thursday morning, officials said.
The deceased was identified as Bhogeswar Bora, a resident of Gayan village in Majuli.
His body was later found by locals a few metres away on the banks of the river, according to police.
Meanwhile, ferry services from Majuli have been put on indefinite hold as water level of the river was rising.
A senior official of district administration said that the decision to halt ferry operations in Majuli was made keeping passengers’ safety in mind.
The ferry services will remain suspended until the water levels drop below the danger levels, according to the Inland Water Transport Department.
Additionally, the ferry services at the Aphalamukh-Nimati and Kamalabari-Nimati ghats have also been discontinued.
According to a ferry ghat official, “Up until Wednesday, we saw ferry services operating according to schedule, with only a slight uptick in water levels. However, the water level increased significantly and is continuously rising. We may be able to resume operations tomorrow if the water-level drops; else, ferry services will stay suspended.”
Earlier, on June 23, ferry services at the Nimati Ghat in Majuli, were indifinitely disconitnued due to rising water-level of Brahmaputra river.
IANS
