Slow progress of the Brahmaputra river bank protection project in Gaibandha

Work on the 1,551-meter river bank protection project to prevent erosion of the Brahmaputra river is underway in Saghata, Gaibandha. Locals have complained about the slow pace of the long-awaited work, the use of low-quality construction materials, and non-compliance with the project design and estimate. In addition, despite the extension of the deadline twice, half of the work has not been completed, so people on the banks of the river are in panic as the monsoon water rises. It is known that people in some areas including Munsirhat in Saghata Union of Saghata Upazila of the Brahmaputra River used to...

৪৮

Work on the 1,551-meter river bank protection project to prevent erosion of the Brahmaputra river is underway in Saghata, Gaibandha. Locals have complained about the slow pace of the long-awaited work, the use of low-quality construction materials, and non-compliance with the project design and estimate. In addition, despite the extension of the deadline twice, half of the work has not been completed, so people on the banks of the river are in panic as the monsoon water rises.

It is known that people in some areas including Munsirhat in Saghata Union of Saghata Upazila of the Brahmaputra River used to fear terrible erosion and being swept away by floods whenever the monsoon came. In the erosion of the past few years, hundreds of houses, residences, and hundreds of bighas of land went into the river.

In view of the long-standing demands of the locals, the District Water Development Board started the work of permanent protection of 1,551 meters of river bank in the Munshirhat area in September 2023 to prevent erosion. 5 contracting companies in 5 packages are implementing this protection work.

But the locals complain that although the project estimate mentions the use of specified quality geo bags, high-quality specified stones and selection sand, a different picture is seen in the project work. Irregularities are being done in the construction of block dumping and guide walls. This has raised concerns about the sustainability of the work.

Along with the irregularities in the work, the locals’ misgivings have increased several times due to the slow pace of the work. With the onset of the monsoon season, the water in the river is rising, but almost half of the work has not been completed yet. Many parts of the project are unprotected. As the water in the river rises, people on the riverbanks are in fear of erosion and flooding.

Sohag Mia, a resident of Munshir Hat, said that due to various irregularities in the work and the slow pace, the people of the area are again worried as before. If the work is not completed quickly, the house will again disappear into the riverbed.

Another resident of the same area, Enamul Hossain, said that the government’s defense work started after hundreds of bighas of land went into the riverbed, but that work is not being implemented properly. It is being implemented through irregularities at each site.

When asked about the complaint, Hasan & Brothers’ supervisor Md. Saheb Ali and Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited representative Md. Alamgir Hossain said that they are working according to the proper rules. They claim that the work is slowing down due to the non-cooperation of the locals in vacating the project work site.

Gaibandha Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md. Shariful Islam said that the work is being done according to the rules of the Water Development Board. There is no scope for irregularities here. Regular supervision is being done to speed up the work.

The work of the project started in September 2023 at a cost of about 123 crore 66 lakh taka. As the work was not completed on time, the deadline has been extended twice until December 2026.