Progress in flood control, irrigation project not at all satisfactory

FE Team | Published: March 24, 2018 21:36:57

Our Correspondent
SYLHET, Mar 24: Since there had been poor progress during the last few years, the ambitious project for early flood control and irrigation in six low-lying districts, known as haor region was given second time extension for two years in October last year. Now it is to be ended in 2019.
But yet the progress is below 50 per cent in seven years, an official admitted.
With a target to saving 289,000 hectares on about 52 haors in the districts, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Netrokona and districts, it was launched in the 2011-2012 session.
The ECNEC meeting on April 12, 2011 approved the project 'Pre-monsoon flood protection and Drainage Improvement in Haor Areas'. As the term ended in June 2015, it was extended twice, even then the progress not at all satisfactory.
It was again extended for two years more, an official informed, the total project cost was reduced with some minor changes. It stood at Tk 6,840 million although it was Tk 7140 million.
Contacted, Superintending Engineer of the WDB, Sylhet Circle SM Shariful Islam told this correspondent last week, the project is aimed at raising agricultural production capacity through work on six haors in Sylhet, 36 in Sunamganj, five in Netrakona and two in Moulvibazar, one in Habiganj and two in Kishoreganj district. On implementation, the project would save huge croplands, which go inundated during monsoon almost every year, he added.
Prime objective is to ensure protection of Boro crops against pre-monsoon flash floods and to increase navigability of the main rivers in the region, the official added, it would also improve capacity of the internal drainage canals.
The major components include, construction of regulators, kilometre compartmental dyke, cross dam at Matian Haor in Sunamganj, construction of drainage outlets, irrigation structures, internal canal re-excavation and Surma-Boulai river system dredging etc.
But, for reasons, like fund shortage and indifference of the executing agency, the project's progress was very poor as yet.
Almost every year, natural calamities like early and flash floods, rolling down of water from the Indian hilly region, incessant rains etc cause damage to Boro crops on huge areas in the said districts. The low-lying region, known as haor zone of the country is the major Boro producing area. Every year, Boro paddy is cultivated on about 700,000 hectares in the said districts.
Due to absence of the appropriate and sustainable efforts to save the lone crop of the region, the poor and marginal farmers suffer extremely almost every year mainly due to seasonal flooding and others.
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