Anisur Rahman Khan :
Two power plants might be shutdown any time for difficulties of supplying fuel (oil) through river ways due to non-removal of pile cap and debris that lying in the bed of Karnatoli river near Bank Town on the Dhaka-Savar highway.
It would be a national disaster if the power plants won’t be able to supply power to the national grid because of smooth oil supplyand if the pile cap and debris of broken bridge are not removed immediately from the river bed.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has sent a letter to the Roads and Highways (R&H) Department on February 13 to remove the pile cap and debris immediately so that oil tanker vessel could move smoothly.
Oil tankers supply fuel to two power plants—Manikganj Power Plant and Northern Power Plant through this river way.
“We have inspected the site on February 12 for physical survey and found that the river width had been narrowed to 35-feet only due to pile cap and debris of broken bridges. The R&H department didn’t remove those debris even after completion of the construction of the bridge. As a result, the river vessels are facing serious problem to ply them,” Saidur Rahman, Additional Chief Engineer (Dredging) of BIWTA told The New Nation on Monday.
He further said that most of the portion of the river Karnatoli has been filled up due to these pile cap and debris of broken bridge.
“The power plants will become non-operational if oil tankers won’t be able to supply oil smoothly. It would be national disaster if power plants failed to supply power to the national grid,” Rahman said.
He urged the R&H department officials concerned for taking immediate action in this regard.
When contacted, Additional Chief Engineer of R&H department Sabuj Uddin Khan said, “Action will be taken soon.”
Sub-divisional Engineer of Kallyanpur (Savar circle) Maruf Hasan said, a new bridge was constructed on the Karnatoli river near
Savar Bank town many years ago after demolition of an old bridge that built during British era.
Without conducting a study it would be very difficult to remove the pile cap, but necessary steps will be taken soon, he said.
