In the remote northern districts of Telangana with a riverine border with Maharashtra, boatmen, who offer ferry services, make hay while the sun does not shine. As the waters of the rivers rise during the monsoon rains, so too, do the fares for a ride across.
“With the rivers in spate, the boatmen charge ₹50 per person and ₹100 for a two wheeler one way, instead of the usual ₹10 and ₹20 respectively,” said Kodape Ramu, a Gond tribal from Koutala, who had come to the Thatipalli ferry point on the Penganga.
Such fare hikes are common in the northeastern mandals of Koutala, Chintalmanepalli and Bejjur in the Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, which have the Penganga and Pranahita rivers along their border with Maharashtra.
Fares are increased due to the risks involved in taking boats across the swelling waters. Regular passengers told The Hindu that the current in the rivers is very strong and it takes expertise to guide the boats across.
“There are no bridges across these rivers, which makes river crossing in boats essential for local people,” said Vikas Mandal of Ravindranagar in Chintalmanepalli. “People from here either go to Koutala or Bejjur to make the river crossings.”
Residents often go across to towns in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra both for business and personal reasons. Like Thatipalli, the Gudem and Moogavelli ferry points in Bejjur mandal by the banks of the Pranahita are very busy with at least 200 passengers crossing each day. There are fewer people at crossings at Nandigama and Talai in Bejjur, and at Tummidi Hetti in Koutala.
Valuable cargo
The boatmen don’t ferry only people across. With the Maharashtra government having imposed prohibition in the riverine districts of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, liquor from Telengana is valuable cargo.
“In the summer, a beer that costs ₹120 here sells for ₹250 in Maharashtra. A nip of cheap liquor is sold for ₹200,” pointed out a passenger at Thatipalli, who did not wish to be identified.