MR Amin, Chittagong

The construction of a seven and a half kilometer embankment will begin soon in Banskhali seashore protection and Sangu river bank protection.

The cost of this three-year project for water management and erosion prevention has been estimated at Tk 504 crore 45 lakh. The project is scheduled to start in June this year and be completed by June 2027.

The people of Chittagong's Banskhali coast are losing their agricultural land and houses every yearAgricultural land and houses are getting damaged due to saline water during monsoon season. The amount of uncultivated land is also increasing due to saline water. On the other hand, due to storms and floods, people are repeatedly affected by the destruction of their houses.

The government took the initiative to build dams to protect habitats. In January 2021, the feasibility study of the Sustainable Water Management Project (Phase I) began in Banskhali Upazila of South Chittagong. An eight-member survey committee of the Paubo highlighted the importance of the project and recommended construction of new permanent dams and renovation of old dams. The DPP of the project was reconstituted in the PEC meeting held on February 7 this year.

Under the project, 7.510 km of permanent bank defense works in Banskhali upazila. It is known that in accordance with the ongoing work of the Water Development Board, 874 crore 57 lakh taka for the protection of the remaining unprotected parts of Banshkhali and Anwara upazilas, on May 28 of the current year, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council The then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the allocation in the (ECNEC) meeting. The project will be carried out in Raipur of Banskhali and Khankhanabad, Baharchhara, Chanua, Sadhanpur of Zuidandi Union.

When asked about this, Chittagong Water Development Board Poor (1) Executive Engineer Dr. Tanzir Saif Ahmed said, project work is starting very fast for the protection of river and river. There are 15 packages of the new dam construction project in Banshkhali, all of which we are going to tender this month. As there is no problem in getting the money for the project. The project can be completed within the duration of the project. We are trying to start work soon. He added, Dam construction is done in dry or winter season. In rainy season, it is not possible to build dam on the coast due to natural disasters. In dry season, dam construction or renovation work can be done for six-seven months. Besides, repair of damaged dams and protection with geo bags is done throughout the year.

Kamal Parvez, a resident of Bahar Rhamar Union in Banskhali, said, “A temporary dam was constructed in 2014 from Premesia in Banskhali to Gandamara village. As a result of the erosion of the dam in several places, the agricultural land is being destroyed by salt water entering again. Besides, the houses are getting damagedHowever, the people of the coastal region are in fear when the monsoon season comes. If a sustainable embankment is built, people will feel relieved again.

According to the information of the Water Development Board, there are 36 km of dams in the coastal area of Banskhali Upazila. Besides, there are 102 km of internal dam. There are only 24 km of permanent dams in it. The height of the dam has been increased in an area of about 36 km in the upazila. In this upazila, the town has spent on building or renovating dams at various times.

It is learnt that South Chittagong was devastated by the terrible cyclone and tidal wave of April 29, 1991. Thousands of acres of homesteads were destroyed and nearly half a million people lost their lives. Apart from this, hundreds of kilometers of roads, road bridges and culverts were destroyed, thousands of acres of cropland were lost in rivers and seas. The post-cyclone water development board at various times constructed river and sea shore defenses and hundreds of kilometers of embankments. In the fiscal year 2015-16, the Water Development Board constructed protective works and embankments at a cost of thousands of rupees for the construction of extensive river bank embankments and sea coast protection in various upazilas.

Construction of sustainable embankments in most of the seas and rivers brought relief to the people.