Since rivers in Bangladesh carry about two billion tonnes of sediment from upstream during monsoon each year, the country’s riverbeds see a rise. Regular dredging is essential and its need has been voiced by rural people for a long period, Dredging not only saves communities living near rivers from inundation but also helps save aquatic resources. To make dredging more cohesive and strategic, the government has finalised a draft policy on river dredging and the management of dredged materials. Reportedly, dredged materials are often dumped haphazardly resulting in ecological devastation.

Under the draft policy, the departments concerned would have to deposit dredged materials about 300 metres away from the riverbanks. The local administrations would not be able to allow unplanned sand extraction from rivers without proper alignment with the appropriate authority. One major feature of dredging is to increase the navigability of the waterways but the other less tangible benefits include the raising of water bodies to maintain water. This is imperative since many notable rivers are drying up in the country or have dried up, resulting in loss of livelihoods for many riverside communities. Riverbanks will be protected from erosion as dredged materials will be used to construct river embankments. Besides, the fertility of agricultural lands will be increased.

The farmers will be able to use the water for irrigation and fish production will also increase. So far, the most of the dredging is done by the government though such work also needs to be carried out by countless international development agencies working in char and remote areas to support flood affected people. In the char areas, where floods are yearly occurrences, people are helped by development bodies to raise the plinth of their homes. This is a temporary solution and needs to be buffeted by dredging rivers.

However, development agencies sideline long term answers for short term ones which results in many of their projects going round in circle without providing any full proof benefit. The government also needs to pass a law stating that all development bodies working on flood and river swelling will have to be involved in dredging or face revocation of their permit to work.