Locals demand steps for dredging Bibiyana river

SYLHET, Jan 17: Inhabitants of the haorbank areas of Jagonnathpur and Derai upazilas in Sunamganj demanded immediate steps for dredging the Bibiyana river in Jogonnathpur and Khazua in Derai upazila for facilitating the recession of waters from the different haors in five upazilas of the district.

Former chairman of Chilaura-Holdipur union parishad Md. Rafiqul Islam and others in a written petition to the Director-General of the Water Development Board (WDB) raised the demand recently.

The petitioners in their application stated with a view to saving the haors in Derai, Jogonnathpur, Dakshin Ssunamganj and Shulla upazilas, the Khazua river in Derai to Bhera-mohona should be dredged immediately. Besides, a loop cutting is necessary at Nagergaon in same upazila. The river Bibiyana from Inatganj bazaar of the adjacent Nabiganj upazila to Markuli bazaar in Ajmiriganj upazila should also be dredged in addition to the canal digging from Ratna river in Jogonnathpur upazila to Gadiala, which is very important while both the banks also be raised and protected.

Moreover they demanded dredging of Badarpur of Dakshin Sunamganj upazila to Kalni river at Shyamarchar of Shulla upazila. If the authority fails to take immediate measures for dredging these, there would be no way out to saving the huge crops from early flooding and water stagnation, which had already become a yearly phenomenon.

A number of locals said since there had been no dredging on the said rivers for decades, parts of Bibiyana river had already been filled up by groups of locals. Boalia bazaar in Derai, part of Inatganj, Noagaon, Baushi and Galisali villages had been established on the filled areas, they added.

WDB Executive Engineer, Sunamganj, Abu Baker Siddique said the starting point of Kalni river had already been filled up at Markuli. This is why water now flows down through Kajua-Chamti, Old Surma and Dhobu river to Meghna. WDB has been working on a dredging programme there while the dredging of Kushiyara river through Suria-Bibiyana is also under consideration, he added.

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