Huge river plan on cards
The government has taken an eight-year-long mega plan to bring back navigability in 53 important waterways by carrying out massive dredging with a cost of around Tk 11,474 crore, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan informed the House yesterday.
"The shipping ministry has sent a primary project proposal to the economic relations division on August 4. The planning commission has already approved the proposal in principle," the minister said.
Replying to a query of Awami League lawmaker Israfil Alam, the shipping minister also said the government has planned to dredge 3276 lakh cubic meters in 53 waterways.
In response to a query of AL lawmaker Noni Gopal Mandal, he said the government has planned to launch dredging in the rivers of Balu and Turag in the current fiscal year at a cost of Tk 52 crore.
Shahjahan disclosed that the government is working on the proposals of investors to dredge the rivers, particularly those in and around the capital, to make water circular ways around the city and to ease the horrific traffic congestion.
"Investors have made proposals to the government that they would take away soil from the river bed through dredging.
"We are working on the proposals considering that if investors are allowed to do so, it will largely help us dredge the rivers," he said.
He said it is not possible to dredge the riverbed of Turag and Buriganga and also the mouth of the two rivers using conventional dredgers as around 10 feet solid layer of polythene has formed there.
"Therefore, the government has planned to purchase a whopper dredger to do the tasks," the shipping minister added.
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