10-year mega plan to dredge 53 river routes for smooth navigability
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Talha Bin Habib
The government has taken up a 10- year mega plan for dredging 53 rivers involving Tk 18.74 billion aiming to ensure smooth navigability on river routes that will enormously help growth of the country's economy, a high official of concerned department said.
With this end in view, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will call tender soon for dredging of 24 rivers under its first phase of the project once it gets the nod from the ministry of shipping (MoS).
Earlier, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the project.
"We will call tender for dredging of 24 rivers in first phase after getting the green signal from the MoS," Chairman of BIWTA Dr Samsuddoha Khondoker told the FE Saturday. The dredging will start this year and end in June, 2018 he said.
The routes are Dhaka- Munshiganj- Gozaria- Chandpur- Chittagong, Chittagong-Cox's Bazar- Saint Martins- Teknaf, Chandpur- Charprokash- Hijla- Barisal, Syedpur- Bandura/ Srinagar, Goshiakhali- Barisal-Kaliganj- Chandpur- Aricha, Bairab Bazar- Lipsa- Chhatak- Sylhet, Ghaglazar- Mohanganj, Lauerghar- Durlobpur, Chittri- Nabinagar- Kuti Bazar, Narsingdi- Kotiadi, Narsingdi- Morichakandi- Salimganj- Bansarampur- Homna and Daudkandi- Homna and others.
The dredging of rest of the 29 rivers under second phase will get the approval from the MoS soon, said the BIWTA official.
Apart from planned 53 rivers' dredging, the BIWTA along with private sector is dredging 12 rivers routes under separate project. The cost of the project is estimated at Tk 5.08 billion.
Dredging of another portion of the rivers of the same project will be carried out by a foreign company after completing necessary official foramalities.
During the last 37 years the country has lost about 18,000 kilometres of river routes. During the rainy season only 6000 kilometres river routes become active for navigability and it falls to 3,800 kilometres during the dry season.
At present the country has 995 active river routes. Out of those 683 are first class river routes while 1000 kilometres are second class and 885 kilometres are third class river routess.
About 700 kilometres of river routes will be reclaimeds once the dredgting of those rivers is completed.
The government has taken up a 10- year mega plan for dredging 53 rivers involving Tk 18.74 billion aiming to ensure smooth navigability on river routes that will enormously help growth of the country's economy, a high official of concerned department said.
With this end in view, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will call tender soon for dredging of 24 rivers under its first phase of the project once it gets the nod from the ministry of shipping (MoS).
Earlier, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the project.
"We will call tender for dredging of 24 rivers in first phase after getting the green signal from the MoS," Chairman of BIWTA Dr Samsuddoha Khondoker told the FE Saturday. The dredging will start this year and end in June, 2018 he said.
The routes are Dhaka- Munshiganj- Gozaria- Chandpur- Chittagong, Chittagong-Cox's Bazar- Saint Martins- Teknaf, Chandpur- Charprokash- Hijla- Barisal, Syedpur- Bandura/ Srinagar, Goshiakhali- Barisal-Kaliganj- Chandpur- Aricha, Bairab Bazar- Lipsa- Chhatak- Sylhet, Ghaglazar- Mohanganj, Lauerghar- Durlobpur, Chittri- Nabinagar- Kuti Bazar, Narsingdi- Kotiadi, Narsingdi- Morichakandi- Salimganj- Bansarampur- Homna and Daudkandi- Homna and others.
The dredging of rest of the 29 rivers under second phase will get the approval from the MoS soon, said the BIWTA official.
Apart from planned 53 rivers' dredging, the BIWTA along with private sector is dredging 12 rivers routes under separate project. The cost of the project is estimated at Tk 5.08 billion.
Dredging of another portion of the rivers of the same project will be carried out by a foreign company after completing necessary official foramalities.
During the last 37 years the country has lost about 18,000 kilometres of river routes. During the rainy season only 6000 kilometres river routes become active for navigability and it falls to 3,800 kilometres during the dry season.
At present the country has 995 active river routes. Out of those 683 are first class river routes while 1000 kilometres are second class and 885 kilometres are third class river routess.
About 700 kilometres of river routes will be reclaimeds once the dredgting of those rivers is completed.