53 waterways to be dredged

PM tells JS policy underway to stop river pollution, illegal sand extraction

The Daily Star, January 28, 2009

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday in parliament unveiled her government’s master plans to dredge 53 waterways and dying rivers to restore their navigability at a cost of over Tk 12,170 crore.

The government is also working to prepare projects worth about Tk 5,000 crore for capital dredging of the rivers, she said.

The prime minister, however, did not elaborate on the master plans.

On January 19, the water resources minister informed the House that the pilot projects include the first phase of capital dredging of the river system at Tk 1,445.51 crore, the Buriganga recovery project worth Tk 1,514.95 crore, and purchasing dredgers and ancillary equipment for dredging at a cost of Tk 1,593.68 crore.

While replying to lawmakers’ queries, the PM yesterday said removal of wastes from the Buriganga riverbed has begun and removal of wastes from the Turag will start in the second phase.

Hasina warned of taking stern actions against those who are involved in destroying the natural balance by felling trees, cutting hills, extracting sand from riverbeds and creating obstacle to rivers’ flow.

The PM said besides the activities of the ministries of water, land and shipping, from now on she would also oversee activities to prevent people from creating obstacle to the normal flow of rivers.

She said steps were taken to stop dumping of industrial wastes into rivers and formulate a policy to stop mindless extraction of sand from rivers.

Hasina informed the House that the government is also taking measures to produce fertiliser and electricity from other wastes produced in the capital.

Speaker Abdul Hamid drew Hasina’s attention to the issue of bamboo fencing in rivers. He said he had several times drawn the attention of the land minister to the matter.

“The land ministry sent a circular across the country, asking the administration to stop leasing flowing rivers. But such rivers are being leased in many places and the lessees are putting up bamboo fences for fishing,” he said.

“It is driving us towards a serious disaster. Therefore, the prime minister should take important steps to stop it,” he added.

In reply, the PM said, “Stern actions will be taken against those who will create obstacle to the flow of rivers.”

Replying to lawmakers’ queries, the premier described her government’s efforts to save the country from adverse effects of climate change and increase agricultural production through development of seeds able to adapt to drought, salinity and flood.

On Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia’s opinion that the prime minister has disgraced the country by “begging” at the Copenhagen summit, Hasina said, “I am working for the welfare of the people of the country. I talked for our people and the country at the climate change summit.

“We are trying to save our people and others who will be affected by climate change. But she [Khaleda] sees our efforts as begging. The question comes if she is aware of the consequence of climate change in our country,” said Hasina.

“We have every right to demand compensation since we are not responsible for the effects of climate change…It is not a matter of begging, it is a matter of our rights.”

Waterways shrinking for lack of dredging

Reduced to 3,800km from 5,200km in dry season

The Daily Star, April 23, 2009

The country’s waterway network has been shrinking drastically due to inability of the dredging department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to remove increased siltation from the riverbeds, causing negative impact on overall economy, says a BIWTA report.

The waterway routes have reduced to 3,800 km from 5,200 km in winter season, thanks to the successive governments’ indifference to strengthen the dredging department of BIWTA over last three decades though the demand for dredging has been increasing gradually.

In the rainy season, the waterway network has reduced to around 6,000 km from 8,400 km due to siltation, says the report, placed before a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry yesterday.

It means now the country’s waterway network is about 6,000 km in the rainy season while about 3,800 km in dry season.

But officials at the BIWTA said now the waterway routes might be less than that, as no survey was carried out in the recent years. They blamed acute shortage of budget to strengthen the dredging, as budgetary allocation was not increased in this regard in last five years.

“The waterway has gradually been unfit for navigation as it is not being possible to remove silt by dredging as per demand, hampering navigation, irrigation and fisheries,” says the report.

Besides, flow of river water has reduced causing obstacle to sewerage system during the flood, leaving negative impact on country’s overall economy, it says.

It also portraits a sorry state of the dredging work of the BIWTA, which was set up in 1958 for development, maintenance and control of inland water transport and certain inland waterways.

The dredging department has now seven dredgers, purchased in 1972 and 1975 but their capacity of dredging has reduced to a great extent.

The annual dredging capacity of the seven dredgers is now around 26 lakh cubic metres against the demand of 100 lakh cubic feet.

“It is difficult to determine the accurate demand for dredging to keep navigation as most of the riverbeds are changing continuously,” the report says.

“However it is possible to keep the waterways navigable uninterruptedly for ferry, steamer, launch, cargo and oil-tanker if 50-60 lakh cubic metre dredging is done annually at the ferry and shipping routes,” it says. The water transports could carry more passengers and goods at low cost compare to bus, truck, wagon and Biman, it adds.

Bangladesh is covered by a network of 24,000 km of rivers, canals, creeks and Haors. During the monsoon, five million cusec water and 2.4 billion tonnes silt are flowed through rivers of Bangladesh each year while all rivers of the world carry 13 billion tonnes silt in a year, says the report.

“It means about 18.50 percent siltation is flowed through the rivers of Bangladesh. Due to flow of heavy silt, most of the rivers in the country are gradually being filled creating obstacle to navigation,” the dredging department of the BIWTA said.

GOVERNMENT PLANS

Against the backdrop, the newly elected government has taken measures to strengthen work of the dredging department by purchasing new dredgers and other equipment.

An agreement was signed on February 2, 2009 with Khulna Shipyard Ltd, run by Bangladesh Navy, to regenerate the two dredgers purchased in 1972. On going maintenance work of the two dredgers at the dockyard will be completed after 15 months, the report says.

Besides, the government has already approved two projects to purchase two new dredgers and necessary equipment while the finance ministry has assured of increasing the budgetary allocation for dredging.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry yesterday suggested the authorities concern to take immediate steps for purchasing the dredgers.

The report says there is a possibility of allocation of Tk 57 crore in the next financial year for dredging and maintenance works.

According to the report, the budgetary allocation for the task was not increased. Tk 18 crore was allocated for each of the last three consecutive financial years including the current ones and Tk 16 crore was allocated during FY 2005-06.

In the report, the BIWTA assured the parliamentary body on shipping ministry of carrying out dredging works properly in some important river routes if the budgetary allocation is increased.