Staff Reporter :
The government has decided to make the Mongla-Ghashiakhali Channel navigable for water vessels within the next six months in the wake of growing criticism from environment activists following the recent oil spill incident in the Sundarbans.
“We have decided to make the channel functional for plying ships within next six months in order to safeguard biodiversity of the Sundarbans,” Shipping Minister M Shahjahan Khan told The New Nation on Tuesday.
He said that the ministry convened an emergency meeting on Monday and instructed the agencies concerned to take all necessary measures in this regard.
“The agencies have been asked to complete dredging on an emergency basis, so that at least one way of the channel could be made navigable by the deadline (June 2015),” he said.
The 22-km Mongla-Ghashiakhali Channel has been remaining inoperative since 2010 because of heavy siltation in the Kumarkhali River. Now all kinds of shipping activities are going on through a 90-km channel inside the Sundarbans, threatening its biodiversity.
The Bangladesh Inland Transport Authority (BIWTA) undertook the river channel dredging project costing Tk 2.50 billion five years ago for removing 10.0 million cubic metres of silt. The step was taken after a gap of 40 years.
When asked, the minister expressed his dissatisfaction at the poor progress of the dredging project saying that inadequate resources of the concerned department was mainly responsible for the setback.
Shahjahan Khan also said that the government was working sincerely to expedite the project implementation in order to save the world’s largest mangrove forest.
He mentioned that the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on Sunday approved a portion of the dredging project at a cost of Tk 880 million
The project was awarded to China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd for removing 2.8 million cubic metres of silt from the channel.
“We are hopeful of finishing the task of making the channel at least functional as the Chinese company will soon begin the work with more dredgers,” he added.
