Shore reservation along the India-Bangladesh river borders, the priority projects of the government, is limping with a severe fund crisis.
Tk 3.71 billion has been allocated for completing the projects under the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in the budget for the current fiscal year (FY).
Of the amount, only Tk 424.2 million has been allocated for shore reservation of the border-rivers shared by Bangladesh and India.
The amount was very negligible compared to the projects. As a result, the bank reservation projects faltered, sources said.
The country has long been facing the risk of river bank erosion on its side. River bank protection constructions on the Indian side were driving the rivers to bend to Bangladesh and cause erosion, sources concerned said.
The country loses its geographical territory to India in most cases.
According to the ministry concerned, the country has lost nearly 16,000 hectares of land to erosion caused by 10 common rivers bordering India and one bordering Myanmar. It resulted in not only territorial loss but also destruction of housing, crops and arable land, they said.
"In the circumstances, it is badly needed that we protect the banks of our rivers bordering the neighbouring country for protection of our valuable land. The government should take an initiative for allocating necessary funds in this connection," a source concerned said.
Sources expressed fear that a large area of land might be lost further, if the ongoing bank reservation projects for the country's border-rivers were not implemented properly.
About 59 bank reservation projects are there for the border-rivers in the current fiscal year (FY). But the implementation rate is very slow due to insufficient funds.
At this moment an additional amount of fund should be allocated in favour of the BWDB, an official concerned said preferring anonymity.
A high official at the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) told the FE at his secretariat office on Wednesday: "The ministry sought an additional allocation of Tk 1.0 billion from the ministry of finance (MoF) for the board last week in the current FY."
An official at the budget section of the MoF said: "We received the MoWR letter seeking additional fund for the BWDB. It is difficult to say anything about the allocation before revision of the budget."
There were 164 projects for shore reservation for border-rivers in the FY 2014-15, the ministry data showed.
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