ECNEC okays Mongla-Pakshi river route dredging project

It clears total 8 projects with Tk 3,171.96cr

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday approved a project to improve the navigability of river route from Mongla to Pakshi via Chandpur-Mawa-Goalanda to facilitate safe and easy transportation of heavy machineries from Chittagong and Mongla Port for setting up the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

 The approval came from the ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that a total of eight projects were approved by the ECNEC involving Tk 3,171.96 crore. "Of the total project cost, Tk 2,579.40 crore will come from the state exchequer while the rest of Tk 592.56 crore from project assistance,"

The Planning Minister said that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Ministry of Shipping would implement the navigability improvement of river route project by June 2025 with Tk 956 crore from entire government fund.

The project would be implemented at the river route areas under Munshiganj, Manikganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Madaripur, Dhaka, Barisal, Pirojpur, Kushtia and Pabna districts.

According to the project document domestic river transportation is a very important mode of transportation in a riverine country like Bangladesh. About 5 million cusec water and 2.4 billion ton silt is flown every year through the rivers of Bangladesh which is also 18.5 per cent of the total silt flown every year across the globe.

The official said that as a result, the country's rivers are gradually loosing navigability every year and there is a need to conduct dredging every year to keep the river routes operative round the year.

Under the project, some 290 kilometer river route would be dredged while the other project operations include conducting some 870 kilometer hydrographic survey, some 93.10 lakhs cubic meter capital dredging, some 256.90 lakh cubic meter maintenance dredging.

The Planning Minister also informed that move is underway to dredge the major common rivers with joint initiative from India.

He said that if all rivers of the country are dredged properly, then the country could see around $6 to $7 billion of additional revenue through removal of silt and reclamation of land.

The ECNEC also approved the 'Bangladesh regional connectivity project-1: Shewla, Bhomra, Ramgarh land port development and improvement of the security system at Benapole land port' with Tk 693 crore.

Bangladesh Land Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping will implement the project by June 2021 with Tk 592.56 crore assistance from the World Bank.

The project will seek to ensure infrastructural development at Shewla, Bhomra, Ramgarh and Benapole Land Ports. Mustafa Kamal said once the project is implemented, connectivity and trade with neighboring India would further get a boost.

ECNEC okays Mongla-Pakshi river route dredging project

It clears total 8 projects with Tk 3,171.96cr

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday approved a project to improve the navigability of river route from Mongla to Pakshi via Chandpur-Mawa-Goalanda to facilitate safe and easy transportation of heavy machineries from Chittagong and Mongla Port for setting up the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The approval came from the ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that a total of eight projects were approved by the ECNEC involving Tk 3,171.96 crore. Of the total project cost, Tk 2,579.40 crore will come from the state exchequer while the rest of Tk 592.56 crore from project assistance, The Planning Minister said that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Ministry of Shipping would implement the navigability improvement of river route project by June 2025 with Tk 956 crore from entire government fund. The project would be implemented at the river route areas under Munshiganj, Manikganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Madaripur, Dhaka, Barisal, Pirojpur, Kushtia and Pabna districts. According to the project document domestic river transportation is a very important mode of transportation in a riverine country like Bangladesh. About 5 million cusec water and 2.4 billion ton silt is flown every year through the rivers of Bangladesh which is also 18.5 per cent of the total silt flown every year across the globe. The official said that as a result, the countrys rivers are gradually loosing navigability every year and there is a need to conduct dredging every year to keep the river routes operative round the year. Under the project, some 290 kilometer river route would be dredged while the other project operations include conducting some 870 kilometer hydrographic survey, some 93.10 lakhs cubic meter capital dredging, some 256.90 lakh cubic meter maintenance dredging. The Planning Minister also informed that move is underway to dredge the major common rivers with joint initiative from India. He said that if all rivers of the country are dredged properly, then the country could see around $6 to $7 billion of additional revenue through removal of silt and reclamation of land. The ECNEC also approved the Bangladesh regional connectivity project-1: Shewla, Bhomra, Ramgarh land port development and improvement of the security system at Benapole land port with Tk 693 crore. Bangladesh Land Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping will implement the project by June 2021 with Tk 592.56 crore assistance from the World Bank. The project will seek to ensure infrastructural development at Shewla, Bhomra, Ramgarh and Benapole Land Ports. Mustafa Kamal said once the project is implemented, connectivity and trade with neighboring India would further get a boost.