Cost rises by Tk 70 cr due to delayed decision

Jamuna river bank protection project at Sariakandi

Indecisiveness on the part of the Ministry of Water Resources has proved costly for the government. It will now have to cough up an additional Tk. 70 crore to implement construction of retired embankment, including protection of right bank of the Jamuna River, at Sariakandi upazila in Bogra district.
In November 2012, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) had submitted a Development Project Performa (DPP) to the Ministry of Water Resources to implement “Construction of Retired Embankment including Protection of Right Bank of the Jamuna River from Kurnibari to Chandanbaisha” at an approximate cost of Tk. 234 crore. However, owing to indecision on the part of the ministry concerned, the project cost has now shot up from Tk. 234 crore to Tk. 302 crore.
Executive Engineer (Ex-n), BWDB, Bogra, Md. Ruhul Amin, confirmed the development and said that the three-year project started in April this year and will be completed in June 2018. “We have sent a letter to the ministry concerned for allocation of required funds to start preliminary work on the project. After completion of the project, private and public properties worth Tk. 1023 crore will be saved at Kurnibari, Talukderpara, Chandanbaisha and the adjacent area.”
BWDB sources revealed that the department had to construct two sand-made flood control embankments at Rahadhah after spending Tk. 59 crore as an alternative to the project. Meanwhile, a sand-made flood control embankment at Rahadhah worth Tk. 16 crore was eroded two years ago. District Relief and Rehabilitation Office (DRRO) sources said that the government and locals had to count losses amounting to more than Tk. 1000 crore due to erosion of this embankment.
Md. Zalal Uddin of Ghughumari village in Sariakandi upazila, a victim of this erosion, said he lost one hectare cultivable land along with other properties two years ago. Another victim, Asad Ali, said he and other locals had to shift their houses due to serious river erosion and floods two years ago. “We believe that if the government had implemented the project in time, a huge chunk of cultivable land along with other government and private properties could have been saved,” said Zalal.

Cost rises by Tk 70 cr due to delayed decision

Jamuna river bank protection project at Sariakandi

Indecisiveness on the part of the Ministry of Water Resources has proved costly for the government. It will now have to cough up an additional Tk. 70 crore to implement construction of retired embankment, including protection of right bank of the Jamuna River, at Sariakandi upazila in Bogra district. In November 2012, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) had submitted a Development Project Performa (DPP) to the Ministry of Water Resources to implement Construction of Retired Embankment including Protection of Right Bank of the Jamuna River from Kurnibari to Chandanbaisha at an approximate cost of Tk. 234 crore. However, owing to indecision on the part of the ministry concerned, the project cost has now shot up from Tk. 234 crore to Tk. 302 crore. Executive Engineer (Ex-n), BWDB, Bogra, Md. Ruhul Amin, confirmed the development and said that the three-year project started in April this year and will be completed in June 2018. We have sent a letter to the ministry concerned for allocation of required funds to start preliminary work on the project. After completion of the project, private and public properties worth Tk. 1023 crore will be saved at Kurnibari, Talukderpara, Chandanbaisha and the adjacent area. BWDB sources revealed that the department had to construct two sand-made flood control embankments at Rahadhah after spending Tk. 59 crore as an alternative to the project. Meanwhile, a sand-made flood control embankment at Rahadhah worth Tk. 16 crore was eroded two years ago. District Relief and Rehabilitation Office (DRRO) sources said that the government and locals had to count losses amounting to more than Tk. 1000 crore due to erosion of this embankment. Md. Zalal Uddin of Ghughumari village in Sariakandi upazila, a victim of this erosion, said he lost one hectare cultivable land along with other properties two years ago. Another victim, Asad Ali, said he and other locals had to shift their houses due to serious river erosion and floods two years ago. We believe that if the government had implemented the project in time, a huge chunk of cultivable land along with other government and private properties could have been saved, said Zalal.