19th century, lavishly decorated, teak wood built, well equipped and diesel operated, the Indus Queen was gifted by Nawab of Bahawalpur to the Government of Punjab.
- Ferry vessel (Indus Queen) was damaged by accidental fire in 1969 and got repaired.
- G-Steamer was shifted for repair to Kot Mithan after serving for nearly 125 years at Ghazi Ghat.
- Indus Queen remained functional till 1993 and G-Steamer till 1989.
- People have emotional attachment and these are also needed for transportation/ferry purpose.
Visit of Technical Team
- Engineers of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd, Ship Repairs Contractors and heavy machinery transporters visited the ferry vessels.
- Conducted joint survey of vessels to make these operational, assessed the option of repairing at site, locating a suitable place for operation and survey of route for transportation.
Recommendations by Survey Team
- The G-steamer must be declared un-serviceable and beyond economical repairs for operational, afloat and conversion into recreational place.
- The Indus Queen must be declared unserviceable and beyond economical repair for making it operational.
- Making it afloat possible but not recommended due to extensive and expensive repairs.
- Conversion into a monument / recreational place is the most recommended option.
- Indus Queen may be placed over a concrete platform after lifting through cranes.
- A new flat bottom riverine craft with maximum of 2 feet draft recommended.
FERRY VESSEL OF HISTIRICAL VALUE
Since good Old-days, when no Permanent Structures existed, for crossing rivers, Ferry-boats were used for transportation of Luggage, Animals, Vehicles and Passengers across the River Creeks. Similarly in the Northern region of the Indian Sub-continent, for transportation across the Mighty River Indus, during normal River flows, the Ferry-boats were used. whereas during High and Flood-flows, crossing of river Indus, was very dangerous and to a great extent impossible,
With the introduction of Steam Operated Ferry-vessels, the facility of crossing Rivers during High and Flood- flows improved to a great extent. To keep areas on Northern & western side of the River Indus, under their Control, the Government of India during British Rule, arranged Four Steam Operated Ferry-Vessels and put them in Operation on river Indus at different Important Indus river Crossing.
One of these Ferry-vessels was put into Operation at Indus river Crossing near Kala–Bagh, the second at Indus-river Crossing near Dera Ismail Khan, the Third at Indus-river Crossing at Ghazi Ghat (Near old City of Dera Ghazi Khan (Washed away by currents of Indus river), While the Forth was assigned duty of transportation of Goods etc, through River Indus form One place the Other.
The Ferry-vessels, operating at Indus-river Crossing of Kala-Bagh & Dera Ismail Khan, met with accidents & damaged which were disposed off through Auction. The Ferry-vessel assigned duty of Transportation of Goods etc. sank in Arabian Sea, while transporting Goods to the sea-port of Basra in Iraq. The Ferry Vessel operating at Ghazi Ghat ( G-steamer-Ship), after Operating in river Indus & serving People of the area for nearly 125- Year , was shifted to & docked for repairs / replacement of the damaged Steel-Sheets of Main-bowl at Nishtar-Ghat Indus river Crossing ( near Mithan-Kot).
Due to Non- attendance to emergent repair of Main-bowl, the G-streamer-ship sank in waters of the Indus River and is currently partly buried in mud at a Nishtar-Ghat. As this Ferry-vessel has served the Down-trodden people of District Dera This Heritage of Historical Value. Which will be a gift of Punjab Government to the people of District Dera Ghazi khan and the surrounding areas of other Districts.
HISTORY:
This Steam operated Ferry-vessel, was build in Liverpool (England), during 1890 and was put into Operation at Indus-river crossing between Ghazi Ghat and old City of Dera Ghazi Khan. Initially Functioning of this steamer Ship was controlled by the Railways Department ( NWR ), of the British Government of India, This Ferry-Vessel Operated & Goods Across mighty Flows of river Indus , it mainly functioned between old city of Dera Ghazi Khan ( Drahma) and Ghazi Ghat village of District Muzaffargarh .
During British Empire, Ghazi Ghat was an important terminal Railway Station and all Civil & Military Goods were transported by train to this Station for further shifting through G-Steamer Ferry-vessel across river Indus to the British Personals and British Military Deployments in District Dera Ghazi Khan and adjoining areas of the Provinces of Baluchistan & NWFP
The Scour action of the current of mighty river Indus, Destroyed and washed away old city of Dera Ghazi khan, on Eastern side and damaged all Installations of the Railway Station Ghazi Ghat (District Muzaffargarh) on Western Side of the river. However facility of the Travel 7 transportation remained operative to the people of the area, during High and flood-Flood-flows of the Indus River through G-Streamer Ship.
The G-Steamer Ship, Played Pivotal-role in installing old Railway cum Road Bridge over river Chenab near Shair-Shah. The Trusses of this bridge, after assembling with Steel-girder& Steel Channels, were towed and put in position with the help of G-Steamer-ship. The old Railway Cum Road Bridge, Near Shair-Shah was there-after replaced with a new steel-trusses Bridge, from whom the road Vehicular traffic has been shifted to the newly Constructed Road-bridge on river Chenab . However services of G-Steamer-Ship for the installation of original Railway cum Road Bridge are on record of Railways.
After damage to terminal Railway-Station of Ghazi Ghat, The services of the G-Steamer-Ship, for facility of travel & transportation to the intending travelers, were entrusted to the Public works Department ( PWD ) and after abolition of the One-Unit, the Operation and Maintenance of G-Steamer- Ship, was place at the disposal of Punjab C&W Department ( Punjab Highway Department ) .
With the Construction and Functioning of a Roadway along Taunsa Barrage over river Indus in 1958 (Near Kot-Adu), better facility of travel and transportation was provided to the people of the area, so pressure of transportation & luggage crossing through G-Steamer decreased a lot with the passage of time. With the burning & going out of Function, of the Indus Queen Ferry-Vessel, the G-Steamer in 1969 was shifted to Nishtar-Ghat Indus river Crossing ( Near Mithan-Kot). The G-Steamer Ferry-Vessel Suffered Damages, while launching in Indus waters after repairs in 1989 and it was docked in Indus river water near Mithan Kot. Due to docking in river waters for a long time , the Steel-Sheets of Main-bowl got Rusted / Corroded, with threat of irreparable damages to this ferry-vessel, by the in-seeping water of river Indus in the main-bowl , Noticing this I submitted repeated requests for provision of funds for its emergent repairs, which were not accepted, as a result the g-Steamer ferry-vessel has sunk in few feet deep waters of Indus river at the docking site and Currently 2’-3’ Feet Silt- Deposit is in the cup Main-bowl of this G-Steamer ferry-Vessel .
