The government has started examining the capacity of local dredger-makers and suppliers before starting a capital dredging programme to raise navigability of major rivers, officials have said.
The move is taken, as poor navigability of the rivers has long been disrupting transportation of goods through waterways, they have added.
"We want to conduct a massive dredging programme to keep the country's rivers navigable. That's why we are examining the capacity of local companies in dredging activities," shipping secretary Shafique Alam Mehdi told the FE.
He said capital dredging is needed to raise navigability of the major rivers. "Before starting the dredging programme we need to know our own capacity. Otherwise, we will have to depend on foreign companies."
Due to poor navigability of the Mongla-Ghasiakhali river route, vessels ply waterways inside the Sundarbans, thus harming the mangrove forest's flora and fauna.
On December 9 an oil-tanker, carrying 358,000 litres of furnace oil, sank in the Shela River inside the Sundarbans. The entire oil spread through river water and entered into the forest, causing death of multiple species.
Environmentalists have expressed grave concern over the oil spill, and feared a long-term impact on the forest's ecosystem.
The shipping secretary said full-swing dredging of the Mongla-Ghasiakhali river route would be started again soon to bring back its navigability, so that vessels could avoid plying through the Sundarbans.
According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), in December the draught for ships in most of the river routes remains below 2.0 metres and highest 3.66 metres.
According to World Bank's Bangladesh Integrated Transport Sector Study of 1998, the length of waterways in the country stands at 6,000 kilometres (km) in rainy season and 3,800 km in summer, against 8,400 km and 5,200 km respectively some four decades back.
Sources said the government decided to carry out massive dredging activities in Jamuna River, where a vast area of char land has formed and navigability has lowered, following construction of a bridge over it.
They said BIWTA had been asked to send a detailed note to the shipping ministry about the dredging capacity of both public and private sector to create a database.
A recent meeting at the shipping ministry was told that poor navigability had been disrupting transportation of goods through waterways.
Besides, low water flow in rivers has been hampering irrigation and causing less production of fishes, thus affecting overall economic activities in the country.
"Carrying out capital dredging in rivers across the country has become very essential to improving navigability of the waterways," the meeting was told.
Managing director of Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd Afroza Bari informed the meeting that presently it was building nine dredgers and it would be completed in next June. The company has the capacity to build 20 dredgers every year.
M A Rashid, managing director of Karnafuly Ship Builders (Pvt) Ltd, said his company had already supplied 15 dredgers to the BIWTA and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), while three more dredgers were being built.
He added that the company had capacity to build 200 dredgers in the next five years.
Managing director of Western Marine Shipyard Ltd Sakhawat Hossain said his company had so far supplied three dredgers to public and private sectors, and had capacity to manufacture 30 dredgers in the next five years.
Besides, his company can dredge 2.8 million cubic metres of silt annually through Banga Dredgers Ltd.
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