capital dredging projects
BIWTA gets manpower boost
“BIWTA procured 10 dredgers and 76 auxiliary vessels at a cost of Tk 746 crore”
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
Despite the public administration ministrys approval for more personnel after six years, the total manpower of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) still remains a far cry from the actual requirement. The manpower crunch is seriously hampering capital dredging operations, including the Prime Ministers priority projects. According to sources, the public administration ministry last week gave the approval for 345 posts, against the total demand for 624 posts, under 10 dredger projects. This has already been sent to the finance ministry for final approval.
The BIWTA has procured 10 dredgers and 76 auxiliary vessels like crane boats, tug boats, officers house boats, crew house boats, tender vessel, pipe barges, multipurpose vessels, inland survey vessels, survey work boats and other related equipment at a cost of Tk. 745.99 crore. At least 624 people are needed to operate the dredgers and other auxiliary vessels for smooth dredging operations under capital dredging projects taken up at the directive of the Prime Minister, BIWTA sources said.
The country had over 24,000 km of waterways spreading across its territory, which have now shrunk to a little more than 6,000 km, BIWTA chief engineer (dredging), MA Matin, told The Independent yesterday. Now were operating 21 dredgers and around 125 auxiliary vessels by rearranging the existing personnel. We find it a problem to continue our dredging operations due to shortage of manpower, he said in reply to a query.
The public administration ministrys approval for more manpower would help expedite the dredging operations, he added. But Matin also said 1,100 more people would be needed by 2018 after the 20 dredgers are procured. The government has placed special emphasis on the river sector and instructed the BIWTA to restore the silted rivers navigability, Matin said, adding, We have taken up several projects to keep the river channels navigable round the year. The main objective of the project is to expedite the BIWTAs activities to dredge the rivers for restoring their navigability, he observed.
