SYLHET, Mar 27: With a view to bringing back the navigability of waterways and to saving croplands from early flooding in Sunamganj, the Water Development Board (WDB) has started dredging of these rivers.
Dredging of four others would be started after months as their bidding and formalities would take more time.
Under the programme, dredging of 6 km on Rokti river in Sunamganj district began last year and has been going on at a cost of Tk 170 million, while 16 km on the upper Boulai river system also in Sunamganj would cost Tk 396.9 million.
However, 40 km dredging on the old Surma (Punnya) river in Sunamganj has been going on and it would cost about Taka 898.3 million. The authority had to go for retender for this as the first bidding was to be cancelled on technical reasons, the source added, however, it was begun just weeks ago.
Dredging in the Jadukata river in the same district has also been going on with a targeted expenditure of Tk 170 million, source informed.
Contacted, Superintending Engineer of WDB Sylhet circle SM Shariful Islam said the dredging is being done under a special project named 'Early Flood Control & Irrigation Improvement Project in Haor Region'.
Works on the dredging programme on these four rivers are set to be completed in 2019, as the project ends by that, he added.
When implemented the Old Surma dredging programme would help saving the Boro paddy crops from the early floods on the different haors in Derai and Shulla upazilas of Sunamganj district. Same way dredging of the dried up Boulai river, which has been passing through Tahirpur and Dharmapasha upazilas would help saving crops from flooding on the areas.
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 districts namely Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sylhet, Kishoreganj and Netrokona.
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.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
