Prof. ABM. Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Mongla-Ghasiakhali international water channel that had been silted up was made navigable once again recently at a cost of about Tk.350 cr.
A sum of Tk 706, 40, 00,000.00 (7 hundred 6 cr 40 lakh) was also sanctioned in a meeting of ECNEC held on January 10, 2017 with a view to removing the illegal cross dams (constructed over its 83 feeder canals and rivers) and sands and for the construction of tidal basins on the both sides of the channel in order to keep normal the durable navigability of the channel.
But this project for maintaining the navigability of the channel for all times may be foiled due to the lack of co-operations between Water Development Board and the district administration of Bagerhat in connection with the implementing of their respective development works.
When at a cost of Taka several hundred crores sands and mud are being removed from its 83 feeder canals and rivers in order to maintain its (Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel) navigability and at the same time some 23 box culverts are being constructed over its feeder canals and rivers at a cost of more than Tk.7.21 cros under the Ministry of Disaster Management affair. The maximum length of those culverts is 60 feet and minimum length is 20 feet.
It is quite contradictory of the re-excavation project of the feeder canals and rivers (of the channel). According to the project of the Water Development Board, the breadth of the feeder canals and rivers will be much more than 20 to 60 feet. If the breadth of the feeder canals and rivers is decreased through the construction of box culverts over the feeder canals and rivers of Mongla-Ghasiakhali international water channel as per the development project taken by the ministry of Disaster Management affairs the mega project passed in the ECNEC in order to make durable the navigability of the channel will be ended in smoke and consequently, Government funds will be wasted, it is opined by the well informed circle.
It is, undoubtedly, very important the existence of Mongla-Ghasiakhakhali channel in the context of the security of the world heritage Sundarban mangrove forest, maintaining the normal mobility of Mongla Sea Port and the safety of the environment of the area and so, a healthy co-ordination should made among the concerned departments, it is opined by ‘The Committee for Save the Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel’. When contacted Khusi Mohon Sarkar, Executive Engineer of Bagerhat Water Development Board told the newsmen that letters had already been issued to the concerned departments in order to overcome the problems in connection with the implementation of the project for making re-excavation of 83 feeder canals (or to remove the sands and mud from them) with a view to making the channel navigable for all times. He expected that all the problems would be solved with the co-operation of the district administration.
Tapan Kumar Pal, UNO of Rampal Upazila disclosed to the newsmen that he had received the letter of the Water Development Board. He added that the matter would be placed in the monthly development meeting of the district and it was brought to the notice of DC, Bagerhat to solve the same (matter) through creating co-coordination between the two departments.
The local people demanded that steps should be taken in order to maintain the durable navigability of Mongla-Ghasiakhali water channel giving the top priority on the desire of the Prime Minister through adopting blanched, smooth and river oriented development project.
Mongla-Ghasiakhali international water channel that had been silted up was made navigable once again recently at a cost of about Tk.350 cr.
A sum of Tk 706, 40, 00,000.00 (7 hundred 6 cr 40 lakh) was also sanctioned in a meeting of ECNEC held on January 10, 2017 with a view to removing the illegal cross dams (constructed over its 83 feeder canals and rivers) and sands and for the construction of tidal basins on the both sides of the channel in order to keep normal the durable navigability of the channel.
But this project for maintaining the navigability of the channel for all times may be foiled due to the lack of co-operations between Water Development Board and the district administration of Bagerhat in connection with the implementing of their respective development works.
When at a cost of Taka several hundred crores sands and mud are being removed from its 83 feeder canals and rivers in order to maintain its (Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel) navigability and at the same time some 23 box culverts are being constructed over its feeder canals and rivers at a cost of more than Tk.7.21 cros under the Ministry of Disaster Management affair. The maximum length of those culverts is 60 feet and minimum length is 20 feet.
It is quite contradictory of the re-excavation project of the feeder canals and rivers (of the channel). According to the project of the Water Development Board, the breadth of the feeder canals and rivers will be much more than 20 to 60 feet. If the breadth of the feeder canals and rivers is decreased through the construction of box culverts over the feeder canals and rivers of Mongla-Ghasiakhali international water channel as per the development project taken by the ministry of Disaster Management affairs the mega project passed in the ECNEC in order to make durable the navigability of the channel will be ended in smoke and consequently, Government funds will be wasted, it is opined by the well informed circle.
It is, undoubtedly, very important the existence of Mongla-Ghasiakhakhali channel in the context of the security of the world heritage Sundarban mangrove forest, maintaining the normal mobility of Mongla Sea Port and the safety of the environment of the area and so, a healthy co-ordination should made among the concerned departments, it is opined by ‘The Committee for Save the Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel’. When contacted Khusi Mohon Sarkar, Executive Engineer of Bagerhat Water Development Board told the newsmen that letters had already been issued to the concerned departments in order to overcome the problems in connection with the implementation of the project for making re-excavation of 83 feeder canals (or to remove the sands and mud from them) with a view to making the channel navigable for all times. He expected that all the problems would be solved with the co-operation of the district administration.
Tapan Kumar Pal, UNO of Rampal Upazila disclosed to the newsmen that he had received the letter of the Water Development Board. He added that the matter would be placed in the monthly development meeting of the district and it was brought to the notice of DC, Bagerhat to solve the same (matter) through creating co-coordination between the two departments.
The local people demanded that steps should be taken in order to maintain the durable navigability of Mongla-Ghasiakhali water channel giving the top priority on the desire of the Prime Minister through adopting blanched, smooth and river oriented development project.
