Vetiver grass piloted as cost-effective tool for dam protection

The indigenous variety of Vetiver grass is being tried out as an effective solution to soil erosion and dam protection in five haor districts.

To this end, the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) has planted the anti-erosion grass to keep the dams and river banks secure from flash flood and high waves.

Under the Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project, Vetiver has been rooted in 107-kilometre dam in five haor districts.

Of them, around 100-kilometre dams are covered with block dams and the remaining seven kilometres with normal soil dam.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is financing the project. A Tk 3.40 crore had been allocated for Vetiver plantation from the total outlay of $ 133 million for the project.

Among block dams, Vetiver has gone aground in 32.35-kilometre dam in Sunamganj, 22.77km in Habiganj, 15.91km in Brahmanbaria, 14.88km in Netrokona and 13.47km in Kishoreganj.

Among non-black normal soil dam, it has been placed in 4.81km dam in Brahmanbaria and 2.17km in Habiganj.

Another 28-kilometre dam will come under Vetiver plantation. Of them, the deep-rooted grass will cover a 3-kilometre block dam and 25-kilometre soil dam.

Over 5 million stems of the grass have been rooted in 28 upazilas in five districts.

Md Ahsanuzzaman, deputy project director, said: “Rain accompanied by storm is a usual occurrence in haor areas causing flash flood and creating high waves that are the reasons for soil erosion and damage to the dams.”

“It is important to protect the dams from erosion. For the last five years Vetiver is showing tremendous performance in respect of soil protection from decay.”

“The grass does not need to be planted every year. New stems come out even after cutting the grass for kitchen fuel or animal feed,” Ahsanuzzaman pointed out.

Vetiver

Vetiver’s shoot grows up to 170 centimetres and its root 13-74 centimetres downward gripping the soil.

Due to its physical structure and characteristics, the deep-rooted grass variety is being held as more effective for protection of low land, slope or embankment against erosion in the wake of rainfall and wave.

Vetiver is sustainable, environmentally friendly and a compatible solution to soil erosion. In case of cost benefit analysis, it is found to more useful than traditional practices of slope protection.

The indigenous plant grows satisfactorily in haor soil requiring no organic or chemical fertilizer, and can sustain in submergence of 6 to 8 weeks.

Is Vetiver a climate fighter?

The project officials claim that Vetiver can fight against the adverse impact of climate change. However, climate change experts have reservations about how much it will work against the adverse impact of climate

change.

“Planting Vetiver is of course a climate-related activity. But how much it will work against the adverse impact of climate change is a matter of research,” M Zakir Hossain Khan, a climate expert and executive director of Change Initiative, told The Business Post.

“If flood visits earlier than is forecast, if waves hit dams and houses before they usually do; then it can be called climate change impact, and if the grass provides protection at that time, it can be said to working against the adverse impact of climate.”

But it is of course an environmentally friendly approach to protecting infrastructure, he noted.

In addition, Zakir maintained that the Vetiver plantation has to come under comprehensive haor protection plan and it has to be observed whether or not the plant is invasive.

In this respect, Deputy Project Director Md Ahsanuzzaman said it is less effective in deep haor, and so they are planting in the dams where water will be shallow.