WDB starts dredging Rokti, Boulai rivers to save croplands from flood

SYLHET, Nov 22: With a target to bring back the navigability of waterways and save croplands from flood in Sunamganj, the Water Development Board (WDB) has started dredging in Rokti and Boulai rivers. Besides, dredging of Old Surma would be started soon.
Superintending Engineer of WDB, Sylhet Circle, SM Shahidul Islam told the correspondent on Tuesday that the dredging is being done under a special project named 'Early Flood Control and Irrigation Improvement Project in Haor Region'.
Under the programme, dredging of 6.5 km on Rokti river would cost Tk 170 million, while 16.5 km on the Upper Boulai river system would cost Tk 300 million. Work has already begun, said the officials.
However, 40 km dredging on the Old Surma (Punnya) river would cost about Tk 900 million. The second time tender documents are under evaluation and approval process by the water resources ministry. The first bidding had to be cancelled on technical reasons, source said, adding, it would be done at an earliest.
Works on the dredging programme on the 3 rivers are set to be completed in two years, he said.
The Old Surma dredging, when implemented would help saving the Boro paddy crops from the early floods on the different haors in Derai and Shulla upazilas of Sunamganj district. Same way dredging of the dried-up Boulai river, which passes through Tahirpur and Dharmapasha upazilas would help save crops from flood.
The official further said almost every year flood, rolling down of water from the Indian hilly region and incessant rain cause damage to Boro crop on a massive area in the said districts.
The low-lying region, known as haor zone of the country is the major Boro producing area. Every year, Boro paddy is cultivated on about 700,000 hectares in the districts namely Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sylhet, Kishoreganj and Netrokona.
Due to absence of the appropriate and sustainable efforts to save the lone crop of the region, the poor and marginal farmers suffer extremely almost every year mainly due to floods.

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