Tk552cr project to prevent Padma erosion in Shariatpur

The water resources ministry is going to implement a project to prevent the erosion of Padma River in Shariatpur.

The project aims to develop an integrated structural and non-structural management to contain erosion and build up sustainable riverbanks in the district.

The ministry has already sent the proposal of the project, “River Bank Conservation to Prevent Padma River Erosion”, to the Planning Commission for the approval of the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC), a senior official of the planning ministry told The Business Post.

The project will be implemented in Vedarganj upazila of Shariatpur. The total cost of project is estimated at Tk 552.48 crore which will come from the government exchequer, the official said.

The Padma River flows through Charbhaga, Kachikanta, Sakhipur and North Tarabunia unions of Vedarganj upazila of Shariatpur. If the project is implemented, river bank stretching 5.8 kilometres through Vedarganj upazila will be protected from erosion, he added.

“The river bank conservation project is expected to save a number of government and private institutions, schools, bazaars, bridges, crop land, residential houses and religious shrines from being devoured by the river, ultimately changing the socio-economic status of the project area,” the official also said.

A meeting of the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) was held in this regard on April 7. The PEC recommended that the water resources ministry should give detailed information about how the project would be implemented.

Besides attaching feasibility study report in the Development Project Proposal (DPP), the PEC has also recommended identifying the actual risk areas of river erosion and the inclusion of design and project implementation threats in the DPP.

The main components of the project are the construction of revetments to protect vulnerable riverbanks and areas and construction of flood embankments behind the riverbanks to prevent progressive erosion, according to the project proposal.

People in Bangladesh are often affected by natural disasters like floods, river erosion, drought, cyclones, and tidal surges. To face such natural calamities, the government often takes various risk management schemes to maintain economic growth, livelihood improvement and poverty reduction in the affected areas.