WDB dredging Nabaganga river in Magura district

Our Correspondent
MAGURA, June 29: The Water Development Board (WDB) is implementing Tk 440 million Nabaganga river dredging project in the district.
Concerned sources said the dredging started on July 02, 2018 and was now close to completion.
The river is 214 kms in length and 300 metres in width.
Some environment and river researchers said, the river can never be regain its navigability dredging only 11 kms of 214 kms. On the other hand, by dredging only 80 metre of its width, the Nabaganga would be turned into a canal.
They said the project proposal was wrong.
The soil lifted from the river has been piled up close to the river and would again fall into the river when rainy season comes. The deal signed with the contactors clearly mentions that the lifted soil will be kept at least 30 metres away from the river, they added.
Some locals alleged that soil was being lifted from the land of villagers instead of the riverbed.
In this connection, at least 13 cases have been filed against the WDB officials.
Bangladesh Environment Movement, Magura district committee president ATM Anishur Rahman said, "The river is being dredged with shallow machines instead of dredgers. We feel the project was taken for the benefit of the WDB officials and contactors."
WDB chief monitoring officer Tofai Hossen said piling up soil close to the river was in violation of the agreement.
Heavy dredger is required for such project. Local dredgers are not performing well, he added.
Magura WDB official ABM Khan Mujahidi admitted that the dredging project proposal was wrong.
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