Surma dredging plan may be futile
Say experts as BWDB prepares to dredge 15km of 166-km river
This year was a disastrous blow for Sylhet's people, due to a devastating flood that continued for around two months from May 12.
Besides floods, in recent years, the city has been facing acute waterlogging. On September 5, only three hours of rain inundated many areas of the city.
For this situation, experts and authorities concerned have pointed fingers at the struggle for Surma river to navigate through the city.
Amid the long-standing demand of dredging the river, it took authorities decades to finally decide on it.
The 15.05 kilometres of Surma, beside the city, is set to be dredged soon.
However, environmental activists raised concerns saying that dredging a small part of the 166-kilometre trans-boundary river won't change the flood situation.
REASONS BEHIND DELAYED INITIATIVES
From 2012 to 2019, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) prepared three project proposals to dredge Surma and other waterbodies in the upper-Meghna basin. The first two were scrapped by the ministry.
Its 2019 proposal, which had a budget of Tk 2,200 crore, faced an inter-departmental challenge, since Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) also prepared a Tk 3,000 crore (approx) project.
After a stalemate in the decision, two more years of inaction passed by.
Eventually, the situation led to this year's flood, displacing more than 3.68 lakh people and incurring financial losses of Tk 1,238 crore for the division (according to government data).
Considering the pressing demand, BWDB finally got the approval to dredge a small part of the river beside the city under an ongoing project to protect riverbanks.
This is good news that authorities concerned finally stepped forward to dredge the river. But the benefit won't last longer than two years, since the river's upstream isn't being dredged.
AKM Niloy Pasha, assistant engineer of BWDB Sylhet, said, "There was an ongoing project to protect Surma's riverbank at Sylhet Sadar and Bishwanath upazila's Rajapur, Mahtabpur and Dashgram areas."
Under this project, the water resources ministry's trustee organisation -- Institute of Water Modelling -- conducted a hydro-morphology study and found that 15.05 kilometres need dredging.
"According to the study, a tender has been called. However, as the recent flood changed the riverbed in some areas, the detailed project plan (DPP) has been revised and now awaiting ministry approval," he said.
"The ongoing project is scheduled to be finished by June next year, and 1,650 metres of the riverbank is being protected from erosion under the project," said Pasha.
"With the revised DPP, we've added another 325 metres of riverbank protection in Sylhet Sadar along with the dredging work. The original DPP was had a budget of Tk 120.81 crore, and the revised one will be disclosed after approval," he added.
OUTCOMES MAY BE UNSUCCESSFUL
Originating from Barak river, Surma flows another 79 kilometres from the border through Kanaighat and Golapganj upazilas till it reaches Shahporan Bridge area in Sylhet Sadar -- where the city area begins.
BWDB's dredging plan for the river starts from Kushighat point near the Shahporan bridge to Dashgram of Bishwanath upazila, down the river's stream.
Abdul Karim Kim, Surma river waterkeeper and general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), said, "This is good news that authorities concerned finally stepped forward to dredge the river. But the benefit won't last longer than two years, since the river's upstream isn't being dredged."
"Surma is almost dead for the first 27 kilometres upstream at the border, for which Joint Rivers Commission needs to take initiative for dredging. Even if that part is left out, the next 79 kilometres is also in dire need of dredging. To get full benefits of the 15 kilometres dredging work, the 79 kilometres need to be addressed too," he said.
Contacted, Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of BWDB in Sylhet, said, "Because Surma and Kushiyara rivers need dredging, the ministry of water resources is already implementing a project to survey both the rivers."
"The ministry's trustee organisations -- IWM and Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) -- are conducting separate studies on the rivers. After that, both the major rivers of Sylhet will be dredged properly," he added.