Posted on November 3, 2020
Apart from easing the waterway communication, efforts would be there for assisting the country’s agriculture and fisheries sectors
The government has launched a mega scheme involving Tk4,371 crore to conduct massive capital dredging of 10,000 kilometers river ways to maintain navigability to ease country’s inland waterway communication.
As part of this effort, dredging of old Brahmaputra River in Sherpur district will begin Saturday under the project titled “navigability development and retrieving of old Brahmaputra, Dharla, Tulai and Punarbhaba rivers”.
State minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury will inaugurate the dredging work in Sherpur part.
“We want to ensure smooth and safe movement of goods and passenger vessels round the year,” said Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury while talking to BSS regarding government’s mega plan on country’s rivers.
Apart from easing the waterway communication, efforts would be there for assisting the country’s agriculture and fisheries sectors by ensuring water flow of different rivers, he said.
Dredging work would be carried out on 227km out of 283km-long old Brahmaputra River under the project, officials said.
In Sherpur part, dredging work on 18km from Brahmaputra Bridge of Sadar upazila to Bhatipara Char No-6 is going to start. Of which, 6-km is from Jangaldi Char to Bhatipara Char No-6 while another 12km is from Brahmaputra Bridge to Jangaldi Char, they said.
Capital dredging of 1570,000 cubic meters among first 6 kilometers will be completed within two years while maintenance dredging of 1,183,000 cubic meters by next 2 years.
Among capital dredging of 12km, 4,000,000 cubic meters is to be accomplished by 2 years and maintenance dredging of 3,000,000 cubic meters by the next 2 years.
A total of Tk44.89 crore will be spent for capital and maintenance dredging of 6 kilometers while another Tk12.42 crore would be required for capital and maintenance dredging of 12 kilometers, sources said.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has been implementing the project to be completed by June, 2024.
“The project, after implementation, will facilitate a smooth communication across the country as well as eliminate regional disparities,” added Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.
He said capital dredging is also needed round the year for retrieving inland water way communication.
Source: dhakatribune
