Panic ensued aboard the ferry boat called Dudhsagar as it got stuck along the Panaji side of the banks of the River Mandovi with several passengers on board, for over half an hour. Making its way from the Betim ferry point towards Panaji, the vessel is said to have met with strong winds and water current following which it drifted away from the Panaji jetty instead of docking at its designated ferry point. The vessel found it difficult to move owning to the fishing boats stationed in the river as part of the protest staged by traditional fisherfolk. It also reached a block due to the casinos that are afloat in the waters of the river. “There was difficulty in controlling the ferry boat due to the canoes that had lined up in the River Mandovi,” said one of the ferry staff members “Also, we couldn’t reverse the ferry due to the casinos.” Fearing the ire of the protestors, a ferry staff member, on request of anonymity, told TOI that despite requests to briefly move their canoes, the fisherfolk did not budge. Traditional fishermen and boat owners have staged a protest since Wedesday, against the use of LED lights and bull trawling methods while fishing. “The fishermen begun threatening us, telling us to keep a distance from their vessels and so the ferry had to be anchored in the same spot as we struggled to get out,” he said. Meanwhile, the alternate ferry single handedly ferried other passengers at the Panaji and Betim ferry points. The department of river navigation sent another ferry from Betim to rescue the distressed ferry. The latter, however, managed to move itself out after nearly 45 minutes of struggle. “The ferry which was stuck was a single engine one, it will be replaced with a double engine ferry boat on Friday,” said an official from the department of river navigation.