River dredging cannot wait

Fund crunch has put a question mark on the future of the Tk 22-billion river dredging project. Included in the annual development programme (ADP) for the current fiscal year 2011-12, it could not however make it to the category for which specific funds are allocated. The ambivalence could not be more apparent here because the government claims it considers river dredging one of its top priority projects. That the project should be on the priority list is indisputable but then when it comes to allocation of funds for it, the seriousness seems to be missing. Removing silt from a total stretch of 2, 470 kilometre of 24 key rivers is certainly a daunting task involving a lot of money. The shipping ministry has sought Tk 21.84 billion for the purpose but the planning commission has not approved the money because of acute fund crisis. This is a clear indication that something somewhere has gone missing. Now fund is hard to come by but the bellow-target level rate of implementation of the revised - and mostly down-sized - ADP does, more often than not, lead to non-utilisation of the allocated fund. Now the fate of a project with enormous merit looks uncertain due to shortage of fund. One senses that coordination between ministries and departments is not a strong point here. Also, good intention is not adequately backed by vision and planning. Understandably, it is a hard time for the government because it has to spend a large sum of money for footing the fuel import bill. One of the not-so-wise decisions was to go for liquid fuel-fired power projects which is likely to push the power subsidy bill past the Tk 50 billion mark. Now this cannot be used as an excuse for neglecting the proposed river dredging project which has the potential of easing the pressure off from the overstretched road transportation and thus inject new blood into our economy. Transportation cost can be drastically reduced if the river routes can be brought back to shape. The proposed channels of 20 rivers constitute only a fraction of the total 24,000 kilometre-long waterways of the country. Transportation of goods on river routes will have a beneficial impact on the prices of goods. The nation can remain indifferent to this enormous economic benefit only to its own peril. Trucks or trailers can never be a substitute for modes of mass transportation. So, more investment in road networks in this land-hungry country makes hardly any sense. It would be wiser to invest in the project for reviving the country's waterways first and then in railways. Because waterways are still there, they should be given preference on consideration of less expenditure and the related benefits. One such benefit is the avoidance of floods with river beds becoming deeper. The fund sought, moreover, is not once at a time. Division of the total amount over five years including the current fiscal, should not prove to be an enormous burden. So allout efforts need to be made to ensure the availability of fund for the river dredging project in the interest of the country.