SYLHET, Jan 22: Steps have been taken up for immediate repair of regulators, re-excavation of linking canals and dredging of 20 km river from Kuliarchar to Bhairab Bazar.
A senior official of the Water Development Board (WDB) said on Monday the Water Resources Ministry gave approval for the Tk 535 million project at an emergency meeting on Sunday last.
The ministry gave the decision after the recent two-day visit of the water resources minister to the district. He visited the crop protection embankment work and vast water bodies in the remote haor and bordering region Saturday last.
WDB Superintending Engineer, Sylhet circle, SM Shahidul Islam told this correspondent on Monday work would be done soon on emergency basis so that water recedes from the haor region.
Things would be started in 10 days through Direct Procurement Method (DPM), he added.
Of the total, Tk 500 million would be spent for dredging, Tk 10 million for regulator repair and the rest Tk 25 million for the canal digging in the remote haor area, the official further said.
The long-desired issues and demands were earlier raised at a meeting on Saturday at the Sunamganj Circuit House after the minister's visit.
The meeting was also attended by the state minister for Finance and Planning, water resources secretary and additional secretary, additional director general of WDB, lawmakers and other officials.
It stressed the said dredging as well as on the repair of regulators and immediate start of the works of the Project Implementation committees for Crop protection embankments in Sunamganj.
The meeting was told that the ministry should allocate required money for the 20 km dredging on Meghna from Kuliarchar to Bhairab in Kishoreganj with a target to bringing back the navigability in Sunamganj and neighbouring lower region. Funds should also be sanctioned for immediate repair of 56 regulators in Sunamganj haor area, the meeting was also told.
Tk 200 million would be spent for water recession facilities on the water bodies. Dredging on canals like Gazaria, Dalia and Kanaikhali on Pagnar haor, Ratla and Suchia, Baigani, Boalmara on Matian haor, starting point of the Kangsha river, Monaikhali, Burakhali, and Betauka Canal, were approved at the ministry's emergency meeting on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Sushashoner Jonno Nahrik (Sujon), Sunamganj chapter, convener Golam Kibria said the WDB would do the required works for dredging and others on emergency basis, But, they need to do things transparently since our experience is not that good.
Last year the WDB spent Tk 667 million the crop protection projects in Sunamganj. But the entire Boro crop of the district was damaged by the early floods, affecting over 400,000 farmers in the division.
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