Dredging of 12 river routes complete

The dredging of a total of 342km among 1,020km of river routes has recently been completed under the ‘Dredging on 12 Important River Routes’ project. This will smoothen the plying of passenger launches, cargo vessels and other water vessels. The premises of at least a dozen primary schools and madrasas, which were located in low-lying areas, have been raised with dredge spoils to protect them from floodwaters.
The completed river routes are: Laharhat-Tentulia of the Arial Khan, Saheberhat-Tungibari-Laharhat of the Tentulia, Paturia-Baghbari of the Jamuna, Dhaka-Ramchar-Madaripur of the Arial Khan, and Chandpur-Nandirbazar-Shikarpur-Hularhat of the Dakatia, the Arial Khan, Tengrakhali Nala, Shikarpur Nala, Uzirpur Khal, the Sandhya and the Swarupkathi. In October 2011, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had taken up the project to dredge 12 important river routes at a cost of Tk. 508.46 crore. These river routes are: Dhaka-Taltala-Dohuri-Zazira-Madaripur-Kabirajpur-Chowdhurihat on the Ichhamati, the Padma and the Arial Khan in Dhaka; Munshiganj, Madaripur and Shariatpur, Laharhat-Veduria on the Arial Khan and the Tentulia in Barisal and Bhola; Shaheberhat-Tungibari-Laharhat on the Tentulia in Barisal; Sadarghat-Berulia on the Turag in Dhaka; Paturia-Baghabari on the Jamuna in Manikganj, Shirajganj and Pabna; Demra-Ghorashal-Palash on the Shitalakhya in Dhaka and Narsingdi; Dhaka-Ramchar-Madaripur on the Arial Khan in Dhaka and Madaripur; Dhaka-Shariatpur on the Padma in Dhaka, Chandpur and Shariatpur; Chandpur-Nandirbazar-Shikarpur-Hularhat on the Dakatia, the Meghna and the Sandhya in Barisal and Pirojpur; Hularhat-Charchapli-Gopalganj on the Kaliganga, the Saildaha and the Madhumati in Pirojpur and Gopalganj; Narayanganj-Daudkandi on the Shitalakhya, the Meghna and the Gumti, flowing through Narayanganj and Comilla; and Dhaka-Sureswar-Angaria-Madaripur on the Padma, Dupaldia Canal and the Arial Khan in Dhaka, Shariatpur and Madaripur.
Under the project, a total of 316 lakh cubic metres of silts would be removed from 1,020-km-long river routes. “We've already removed 152 lakh cubic metres of silts under the project. We'll be able to complete the task by 2018 as per the project profile,” project director Tarequl Hasan told The Independent yesterday. "Dredging work is being carried out on the remaining river routes,” he said.
Excessive silting, which kills rivers, is an outcome of the lack of coordination between local governments and the Bangladesh Water Development Board, Hasan said, in reply to a query.

Dredging of 12 river routes complete

The dredging of a total of 342km among 1,020km of river routes has recently been completed under the Dredging on 12 Important River Routes project. This will smoothen the plying of passenger launches, cargo vessels and other water vessels. The premises of at least a dozen primary schools and madrasas, which were located in low-lying areas, have been raised with dredge spoils to protect them from floodwaters. The completed river routes are: Laharhat-Tentulia of the Arial Khan, Saheberhat-Tungibari-Laharhat of the Tentulia, Paturia-Baghbari of the Jamuna, Dhaka-Ramchar-Madaripur of the Arial Khan, and Chandpur-Nandirbazar-Shikarpur-Hularhat of the Dakatia, the Arial Khan, Tengrakhali Nala, Shikarpur Nala, Uzirpur Khal, the Sandhya and the Swarupkathi. In October 2011, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had taken up the project to dredge 12 important river routes at a cost of Tk. 508.46 crore. These river routes are: Dhaka-Taltala-Dohuri-Zazira-Madaripur-Kabirajpur-Chowdhurihat on the Ichhamati, the Padma and the Arial Khan in Dhaka; Munshiganj, Madaripur and Shariatpur, Laharhat-Veduria on the Arial Khan and the Tentulia in Barisal and Bhola; Shaheberhat-Tungibari-Laharhat on the Tentulia in Barisal; Sadarghat-Berulia on the Turag in Dhaka; Paturia-Baghabari on the Jamuna in Manikganj, Shirajganj and Pabna; Demra-Ghorashal-Palash on the Shitalakhya in Dhaka and Narsingdi; Dhaka-Ramchar-Madaripur on the Arial Khan in Dhaka and Madaripur; Dhaka-Shariatpur on the Padma in Dhaka, Chandpur and Shariatpur; Chandpur-Nandirbazar-Shikarpur-Hularhat on the Dakatia, the Meghna and the Sandhya in Barisal and Pirojpur; Hularhat-Charchapli-Gopalganj on the Kaliganga, the Saildaha and the Madhumati in Pirojpur and Gopalganj; Narayanganj-Daudkandi on the Shitalakhya, the Meghna and the Gumti, flowing through Narayanganj and Comilla; and Dhaka-Sureswar-Angaria-Madaripur on the Padma, Dupaldia Canal and the Arial Khan in Dhaka, Shariatpur and Madaripur. Under the project, a total of 316 lakh cubic metres of silts would be removed from 1,020-km-long river routes. Weve already removed 152 lakh cubic metres of silts under the project. Well be able to complete the task by 2018 as per the project profile, project director Tarequl Hasan told The Independent yesterday. Dredging work is being carried out on the remaining river routes, he said. Excessive silting, which kills rivers, is an outcome of the lack of coordination between local governments and the Bangladesh Water Development Board, Hasan said, in reply to a query.