OUR CORRESPONDENT
SYLHET, Sept 27: An emergency flood control initiative in the Sylhet region has hit a snag, achieving only around 60 per cent progress despite its scheduled completion by June 2026. Officials from the Water Development Board (WDB) confirmed that the project timeline has been extended by another year due to various complications.
The Flood Reconstruction Emergency Assistance Project (FREAP), launched in April 2023, aims to mitigate the impact of recurrent flooding in the greater Sylhet region. However, progress has been slower than expected.
Md. Kaiser Alam, Superintending Engineer of WDB Sylhet and Project Director, said, "We've managed to complete about 60 per cent of the work so far. Due to multiple challenges, the authorities have decided to extend the project deadline by one more year."
Alam also noted that some armouring work using CC blocks, completed last season in Sunamganj, was damaged and would need to be redone. "Heavy rains and recurring floods frequently damage our completed work," he said.
The FREAP includes rehabilitation of 103.73 km of flood control embankments, construction of 15 flood fuses, armouring of submersible embankments with CC blocks and five km of riverbank protection work.
The project is expected to protect approximately 80,000 hectares of land from early flooding and enhance post-flood water recession infrastructure across Sylhet, Habiganj, and Sunamganj districts. The estimated cost stands at Tk 7,485.74 million.
Dipak Ranjan Dass, Executive Engineer of WDB Sylhet, reported that about 80 per cent of the work in Sylhet district has been completed. "However, some areas may still need additional time," he said.
A senior official said the massive project was initiated after Sylhet and other haor districts experienced the worst floods in recent history in 2022. The government responded by launching this large-scale initiative with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), involving agencies such as WDB, LGED, DAE, and Bangladesh Railway.
Last year, several WDB officials in Sunamganj were penalised after irregularities were uncovered in related projects. "Those issues are being addressed and repair work is underway," the official added.
