Boats stuck in mid-Chilika after tiff among operators return ashore 

Hundreds of passengers heaved a sigh of relief after spending hours on board their boats stranded on mid-water in Chilika lake following a dispute among the boatmen on Saturday.   

As per sources, more than 30 boats remained stuck in the water after the boatmen were not allowed to deboard passengers at Satpada. 

The passengers were returning from Janhikuda after attending Pana Yatra organised at an islet in the marine lagoon. Pana Yatra is regarded as the second Bali Yatra and draws huge crowd from all around the State during this time of the year. 

As per sources, the dispute began after a boatman from Satpada ferrying passengers to Janhikuda was denied permission to drop passengers at the ghat earlier in the day. 

Though he managed to deboard the passengers later, he returned with empty boat on return journey without ferrying any passengers.  

In the evening, when boatmen from Janhikuda reached Satpada with passengers, the boatmen there refused to allow them to alight the passengers. 

Later, the in-charge of the local police outpost held discussion with the boat owners and the resolved the issue.