Bagerhat Correspondent :
The 3rd time re-excavation of 22- kilometer portion out of almost dead 31 kilometer Mongla-Ghasikhali channel has raised questions among the different circles.
Local people and even the local MP raised the questions over the success of re-excavation of the channel. The re-excavation (dredging) programme of Tk. 250 cr has already started by BIWTA on May 22 of the current calendar year.
Before this BIWTA tried twice to re-excavate the channel for keeping its navigability normal. But those attempts were abandoned in the middle of the works.
In order to shorten the distance of Mongla Sea Port with other places of the country 31 kilometer long Mongla-Ghasikhali channel was excavated and it was opened for the movement of water vessels in the year of 1974.
It is the important and major portion of ‘Bangladesh-India Water (navigation) Protocol’ and Bangladesh-India water route. Indian ships carrying mercantile and other goods move from Dhaka, Chittagang, Sylhet, Barisal, north Bengal to India on this route via -Khulna, Noapara and Angtihara..
In the year 2010 this water route was declared abandoned due to acute scarcity of navigability. Since then ships have been moving through Sundarban forest. As a result, they are to cross 110 kilometer path more. Consequently, the carrying cost of goods are increased to some extent. On the other hand, the biodiversity of the world heritage Sundarban forest is affected. In order to solve this problem. BIWTA started the dredging work of Momngla-Ghasikhali channel for the first time in the year 2010 at a cost of Tk.10 crores. But getting no effective result, the programme was dropped only after 15 days. After this the dredging work of the channel once again started for the second time at a cost of Tk.14 crores in the year 2011.But the result was negative. So, the dredging work was also stopped within a month
After that BIWTA started the dredging work of the channel on May 22 in the current calendar year for 3rd time at a cost of Tk.250 crores as a top priority programme of the Prime Minister. Md. Shamsuddoha, Chairman of BIWTA ceremonially inaugurated the dredging work of the channel in the river Kumarkahli on July 1, 2014. At that time the chairman disclosed, 1crore cubic meter mud will be dredged out from 22 kilometer point of Mongla-Ghasikhali channel (out of 31 kilometers).
The 3rd time re-excavation of 22- kilometer portion out of almost dead 31 kilometer Mongla-Ghasikhali channel has raised questions among the different circles.
Local people and even the local MP raised the questions over the success of re-excavation of the channel. The re-excavation (dredging) programme of Tk. 250 cr has already started by BIWTA on May 22 of the current calendar year.
Before this BIWTA tried twice to re-excavate the channel for keeping its navigability normal. But those attempts were abandoned in the middle of the works.
In order to shorten the distance of Mongla Sea Port with other places of the country 31 kilometer long Mongla-Ghasikhali channel was excavated and it was opened for the movement of water vessels in the year of 1974.
It is the important and major portion of ‘Bangladesh-India Water (navigation) Protocol’ and Bangladesh-India water route. Indian ships carrying mercantile and other goods move from Dhaka, Chittagang, Sylhet, Barisal, north Bengal to India on this route via -Khulna, Noapara and Angtihara..
In the year 2010 this water route was declared abandoned due to acute scarcity of navigability. Since then ships have been moving through Sundarban forest. As a result, they are to cross 110 kilometer path more. Consequently, the carrying cost of goods are increased to some extent. On the other hand, the biodiversity of the world heritage Sundarban forest is affected. In order to solve this problem. BIWTA started the dredging work of Momngla-Ghasikhali channel for the first time in the year 2010 at a cost of Tk.10 crores. But getting no effective result, the programme was dropped only after 15 days. After this the dredging work of the channel once again started for the second time at a cost of Tk.14 crores in the year 2011.But the result was negative. So, the dredging work was also stopped within a month
After that BIWTA started the dredging work of the channel on May 22 in the current calendar year for 3rd time at a cost of Tk.250 crores as a top priority programme of the Prime Minister. Md. Shamsuddoha, Chairman of BIWTA ceremonially inaugurated the dredging work of the channel in the river Kumarkahli on July 1, 2014. At that time the chairman disclosed, 1crore cubic meter mud will be dredged out from 22 kilometer point of Mongla-Ghasikhali channel (out of 31 kilometers).
