Project awaits two more years\' extension

SYLHET, Jan 11: An early flood control and irrigation project for six low-lying districts, the haor region, is about to get another two-year extension.
With a target to save 289,000 hectares in about 52 haors in Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts. The project was launched in the fiscal year 2011-2012.
The project titled 'Pre-monsoon flood protection and drainage improvement in haor areas' had to be revised five times before launching.
The ECNEC meeting on April 12, 2011 approved it for implementing within five years. As the term ended in June 2015, it was first extended for a year, even then the progress stood at only 18 per cent till June 2016 after spending Tk 1260 million. Now it is being extended for two more years, an official informed. The total project cost now stands at Tk 7,040.736 million.
Superintending Engineer of Water Development Board (WDB), Sylhet zone, Nurul Islam Sarker said the project will save the massive croplands that go inundated during monsoon almost every year.
The project will also improve capacity of the internal drainage canals.
The major components include, construction of 39 regulators, 32 km compartmental dyke, cross dam at Matian Haor in Sunamganj, construction of 29 drainage outlets, 22 irrigation structures, 333 km internal canal re-excavation and 40 km Surma-Boulai river system dredging.
But, for reasons, like fund shortage and indifference of the executing agency, the project's progress was poor as yet. However, Tk 800 million work is expected to be done this fiscal, the official informed.
Almost every year, natural calamities like early and flash floods, rolling down of water from the Indian hilly region and incessant rainwater cause damage to Boro crops in the districts as the low-lying region is the major paddy producing area. Boro paddy is cultivated on about 700,000 hectares of land every year.
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