Tk76cr river dredging in Khulna soon

The dredging work of Bhadra and Shalta rivers will start soon involving Tk 76 crore, aiming to save the people of Khulna, Satkhira and Jessore from the longstanding waterlogging problem during monsoon.

Water Development Board (WDB) has already completed all the process for starting the dredging work.

Rashedul Islam, an officer of local Water Development Board office, told the news agency that demarcation line of both the rivers has already been fixed to start the dredging work.

Local people said once the dredging work is completed it will help save assets worth several hundred crore taka.

Around 13 lakh people in 54 unions under Dumuria and Phultola upazilas of Khulna and Tala upazila of Satkhira and Keshabpur upazila of Jessore districts have been facing trouble for the last several years due to waterlogging problem.

Visiting Dumuria upazila and its adjoining areas the news agency correspondent found that local influential people have already grabbed more than 6,000 hectares of khas land of chars emerged in five rivers, including Bhadra and Shalta, which have been losing navigability since 1986. They have built different structures on the grabbed lands.

Khulna WDB sources said they served a notice to the river encroachers to shift their establishments in December last year.

Local people said there is no alternative to removing the illegal establishments to restore a comfortable life for 13 lakh people along the river basin.

Shariful Islam, executive engineer of WDB Khulna branch, said in the first phase, the dredging work for the Bhadra and Shalta rivers stretching 30 kilometres will start by this year.

With the help of Khulna Deputy Commissioner's office, the eviction drive will also start to remove illegal structures from the chars of the rivers, Shariful added.