Sylhet town protection project shelved

Erosion affected Surma Residential Area in Sylhet city. PHOTO: STAR

The Planning Commission has finally rejected the revised Tk 90 crore Sylhet town protection project after sitting on it for over a year, according to Water Development Board (WDB) sources here.

This has evoked criticism from the townspeople, including political leaders, who apprehend massive erosion by the Surma river in the coming monsoon season.

The revised project was submitted to the Planning Commission in last financial year (FY 2004-2005). The WDB took about two years for preparation of the revised project.

The WDB sources said they will now go ahead with the original project with some modifications, which will raise the cost by Tk five crore.

The original project involving Tk 14.61 crore was taken up at the initiative of former lawmaker from the city, Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, during Awami League rule. It was prepared to renovate and protect the Surma riverbank at Kolapara, Darsha, Alampur, Kanishail and some other areas.

After some initial work, the authorities decided to revise the project and include new areas. Accordingly, the revised project was prepared to include more 9.7 kilometres on the right bank of Surma and 8.5 kilometres on its left bank. The revised project also includes remodeling work in several areas.

The WDB sources said, due to the indecision, concrete blocks and boulders procured for the bank protection work were left unused at places for about three years.

Meanwhile people gave representations and staged demonstrations for implementation of the project to save their lands and homesteads from erosion by the Surma.

Besides, due to waste of time without work, the main purpose of the project would not be served now and the public money would be simply 'misused', a number of residents in Jhalopara and Kanishail areas under the project said while talking to this correspondent yesterday.

The original project was designed to renovate 12 kilometres of the river bank from the Mazar of Hazrat Gazi Burhanuddin (RA) in the east to Kanishail-Darsha in the west of the town by using concrete blocks and boulders.

On the other bank, protection work was to be done from Alampur to Mistori Masjid areas.

After the change of government in 2001, fate of the project became uncertain as things remained stalled for more than a year.

Later, Finance Minister Saifur Rahman, who is now the lawmaker from Sylhet city, asked for a revised project and inclusion of new areas.

He ordered that the project should cover areas from the east to the west part of the riverbank without any break.

A Tk 114 crore project was prepared, which included Sylhet City Corporation's contribution of Tk 24 crore for creating small parks on the banks. The rest Tk 90 crore was proposed to be financed by the government.

Every year during monsoon, erosion plays havoc in Sheikhghat, Tukerbazar, Ghopal, Jangail, Pirpur Chargaon, Haiderpur Sahebergaon, Kanishail, Broikandi, Anantapur, Darsha, Kamalganj, Technical Road and Alampur areas.

There has been no major dredging of the Surma for long. Only about two kilimetre area from Dhanpur to Chandpur in Sadar upazila was dredged in 1978.

Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Badar uddin Ahmed Kamran told The Daily Star the government should approve the project to protect the town.

"I urged the government again to approve the vital project to same vital installation in the city and its suburbs", he said.