Cosmetic patchworks on a dead river cost Tk 15.55b

A Tk 15.55-billion project has been taken for the recovery and beautification of the virtually dead river Ichamoti in Pabna under "high-quarter influence" during the past government, insiders said.
The state-owned Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) would demolish 22 bridges on the river, some are recently built. And it will build 23 new ones with modern architectural design for the beautification of Pabna town, they said.
Although the river has almost lost its water flow, they added, the Water Board will invest nearly Tk 2.20 billion for conducting dredging of the river and connected seven canals.
Despite strong opposition and reservations from the Planning Commission (PC), the BWDB, at the behest of government high-ups, had to undertake the project costing a total of Tk 15.55 billion a year ago in 2023, said some officials.
"… We expressed our reservation about it due to unnecessary spending on some components and ambitious cost estimations. But we were forced to approve it in 2023," says a senior PC official.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the "Ichamoti River recovery project" involving Tk 15.55 billion in 2023 for completing by June 2027.
Actually, it is a "white elephant" for the government as the entire Tk 15.55 billion worth of funds will be supplied from the hard-earned public tax money, insiders said.
Under the ambitious project, the WDB would excavate 13km new alignment of the Ichamoti River by acquiring farmlands.
"We have strongly protested the move of damaging agricultural lands. But we had to ultimately bow being forced from the high office of government," the PC official says.
Contacted, few PC and WDB officials said it would be difficult to keep the navigation even after dredging of the river as there is lack of water flow in it.
Insiders say the river usually does not have water flow in 8-9 months every year.
"We asked the WDB to give details about the cutting-level height from the riverbed compared to the nearby big rivers, including the Padma and the Jamuna. We also asked the Board to give details about the plan of regular maintenance dredging," said another PC official.
The PC authorities also sought from the WDB details of the seven canals as to whether water will enter the Ichamoti River through the canals during dry season.
Before approval of the project in September last year, some members at the PEC Project Evaluation Committee meeting raised questions and reservations about the higher cost of the bridge construction and asked for the nitty-gritty.
According to the sources, the BWDB proposed some Tk 3.5 million per km for building the new bridges out of the Tk 15.55-billion cost of the river-recovery project.
Meanwhile, LGED usually spends Tk 1.4 to Tk1.5 million per kilometre for constructing same kind of bridges, they said.
According to the proposal, the WDB will demolish the currently used 22 brides on the Ichamoti River spending Tk 16.99 million and replace 23 beautiful bridges on the same sites at Tk 4.0 billion.
For constructing the walkway in a 10km stretch on the riverbank, it will spend Tk 96.99 million.
Building 5.0km drain on the riverbank is estimated to cost Tk 1.24 billion.
The water board has kept aside some Tk 5.2 billion for land acquisitions as more than 1600 persons grabbed the land of the river illegally, the WDB has said in its project proposal.
The project-implementing agency will invest about Tk 90 million in constructing 56 landing stations on the river despite its near-death situation, officials said.
Although three bridges out of the 22 on the Ichamoti River were constructed in 2017-2018 period by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), those bridges would be demolished and replaced with new ones under the project.
The implementing agency - BWDB -- will purchase two luxury jeeps, four motorcycles, and send its officers abroad on study tours and trainings by spending the project money.
According to the project proposal, the Board will send its manpower for learning about river dredging abroad at Tk 20 million and procure a luxury jeep at Tk 15 million, a double-cabin pickup at Tk 6.50 million, and four motorcycles at Tk1.0 million.
To maintain the vehicles and automobiles, the WDB has earmarked about Tk 20 million for their fuel and oil purpose.
The implementing agency has also allocated Tk 25 million for modernising its resort (bungalow), office and residential buildings.
Asked about this project, another senior PC official said the river's width came down to even 10 metres and in some areas it is 140 metres. "So, it's very difficult to maintain the navigability of the Ichamoti River spending the huge public tax money."
He said they would review the "politically motivated project as its cost is very high and ambitious, and it is a less-priority one for this interim government".
When contacted, officials concerned at the BWDB declined to make any comment on the project.

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