Bhagalpur: With road traffic on Vikramshila Setu set to be closed from midnight on Wednesday, the district administration is making arrangements for alternative waterway services to facilitate passenger and cargo movement across the Ganga.Final touches to jetties are being given, officials said. Ferry services for passengers will operate from Biada Ghat in Barari, while cargo movement will be handled from Babupur Ghat in Sabour.Vikramshila Setu, which connects Bhagalpur with Naugachia and the north-eastern corridor across the Ganga, will remain closed from Oct 1 to Dec 31. A district administration official said the closure is required to dismantle and remove the temporary steel-fabricated Bailey bridge over the collapsed sections of the existing bridge, following which repair, restructuring, re-strengthening and restoration work can begin.The administration is also deploying police personnel and magistrates at the river ghats to maintain law and order and regulate traffic. To provide food, drinking water and other basic facilities, ‘Jeevika Didi kitchens’ will be operated at the ghats.District magistrate Alankrita Pandey said the administration had completed the necessary preparations to ensure passengers did not face inconvenience while using the waterways. Arrangements have also been made for transporting vehicles and goods.“The previous ferry service operated from Barari Ghat has not been permitted under the current circumstances,” Pandey said, adding that permanent restoration work was being carried out at the ghat.She said heavy machinery, cranes and other construction equipment would remain at the site throughout the closure period. “Passengers’ safety is foremost,” she said, adding that alternative routes and transportation arrangements would be made as required. Traffic control, vehicular movement and crowd management on the alternative routes would also be monitored continuously, she said.Pandey said separate ghats had been designated for passenger and cargo movement to ensure orderly operations on the waterways and prevent congestion at the ghats.Several arrangements have also been made for passenger safety and convenience, including a police control room, deployment of police personnel, medical camps, Jeevika Didi kitchens, an emergency control room staffed by administrative officials and disaster response teams.SSP Pramod Kumar Yadav said police arrangements were being made to ensure passenger safety and maintain law and order.DM and SSP said the District Disaster Control Room’s toll-free number (0641-2402871) would remain operational round the clock. Passengers can contact the control room for information, assistance or to report problems during their journey.krrajes2001@gmail.com