Tk 1.60b project to repair coastal embankment of Shahparir Dwip

The government has taken a Tk 1.60 billion project for repairing coastal embankment in Cox's Bazar aiming to prevent lives and properties from damage being caused by sea water, officials said.  
The project titled 'Construction of embankment with protective work of sea dyke at Shahparir Dwip under Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar' is set to get approval from the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) during its meeting next week, they added. The project aims at repairing the embankment after nearly 50 years to prevent its natural damage by salinity of sea water.
Earlier, the project was approved by the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) on August 16 last. An official order in this connection was issued by the planning division on December 29 last.
The ministry of water resources (MoRS) has already sent the project proposal to the cabinet division for placing it to the CCEA.
The ministry issued an administrative order on January 11, 2017 to implement the project.
The duration of the project is from July 1, 2016 to  June 30, 2019.
As per the development project profile (DPP), the 2.645-kilometre embankment/sea dyke (with slop protection) will be rebuilt for preventing intrusion of saline water of the Bay of Bengal to Shahparir Dwip that severely damages crops, houses and even  salt cultivation in the area.
During the year 1968-70, polder of embankment was built along the coast of Shahparir Dwip. Since then, there has been no repair work of the polder as a result of which the embankment/ sea dyke has become weaker and risky.  Some parts of the polder were damaged severely during cyclones of 1970, 1991 and Aila in 2009 and other natural calamities, according to the MoWR.
Low depression in the Bay of Bengal along with heavy rains in 2012 damaged the 2.645-kilometre embankment, allowing saline water of the sea to intrude into Shahparir Dwip and thus had caused losses to crops and human lives.   Once the embankment is repaired, it will help boost economic development in the region, according to  locals and water experts.
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