PANAJI: Residents of Calvim had a tough time on Friday evening after their only ferry broke down due to a mechanical fault. The ferry ‘V M Vagator’ had a hole in the hull allowing the water to collect in the ferry.

The RND had provided the staff on the ferry with a pump to be able to pump the water out into the river. But the shaft of the ferry gave out and it stalled due to engine problems.

The villagers were left without a ferry to commute across the river. Another ferry called ‘Bandora’ was brought as a replacement to the ‘V M Vagator’ ferry.

However, it was learnt that the ‘Bandora’ ferry was called to tow the broken down ‘V M Vagator’ back to Panaji. Mr Freddy Pontes, a panchayat member of Calvim ward, when came to know about this, he along with the villagers gathered at the ferry point on Saturday morning and did not allow the ferries to leave.

Mr Pontes along with the villagers demanded another ferry to ply on the route before both the ferries were taken away.

There was a similar incident previously when the ferry ‘Chodan’ which was in a good condition was going to be taken away and the people gathered and stopped the RND from taking the ferry which had no problems and issues. At the time the other ferry that was sent by the RND as a replacement to the ‘Chodan’ ferry was one that had holes in the hull and was patched with cement.

The aggrieved villagers have urged the government to look into the matter at the earliest and provide the people with good ferry boats.