Water level rises in Hatirjheel, water taxi services suspended

Water taxi services between Gulshan and Hatirjheel have been suspended after continuous rainfall caused the water level in Hatirjheel to rise, making it impossible for vessels to pass beneath the bridge near Police Plaza.

A visit to the Gulshan Gudaraghat water taxi terminal on Monday found the counter closed, with no water taxis at the jetty. A notice displayed at the counter said services had been suspended due to the rising water level.

According to officials, the heavy rain that began on Sunday caused the water level in Hatirjheel to increase significantly. As a result, water taxis can no longer navigate beneath the comparatively low bridge in front of Police Plaza on the route from Gulshan.

However, water taxi services from Police Plaza, Rampura and FDC ghats are operating as usual.

Those concerned said the bridge adjacent to Police Plaza has lower clearance than the other bridges in the Hatirjheel area. The higher water level has reduced the clearance further, preventing water taxis from passing underneath.

Faridul Islam, a worker at the Gulshan Gudaraghat counter, said the service had been suspended only from the Gulshan terminal following Sunday’s rainfall.

“The water level in Hatirjheel has risen, and water taxis cannot pass beneath the low bridge near Police Plaza. The Gulshan counter has been temporarily closed, but services from all other counters are operating normally,” he said.