Tk 376 cr project for dredging of Karnaphuli river

After a lapse of over two decades the physical works of the capital dredging of the heavily silted areas of the River Karnaphuli is likely to begin this year.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has finalized a Taka 376 crore project to dredge about three km rivers stretching from Sadarghat Lighter Jetty toward some 500 meters upstream of the existing 3rd Karnaphuli bridge.
The project would also cover construction of 2.5 km marine driveway on east bank of the river on city sides, river protection wall and 1700 meters RCC jetty for lighter vessels.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan while visiting Chittagong last Thursday at a meeting with the CPA officials on capital dredging project reviewed the progress of the scheme and later informed journalists that tender to this effect would be floated by March next. CPA officials said apart from restoring navigability of the important portion of the river, CPA can reclaim around 50 acres of lands worth about Taka 400 hundred crore and fetch revenue amounting to Taka 5-10 crore per year by realizing handling charges from lighter vessels through the jetty.
The Ministry of Shipping has given final consent to Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to appoint Bureau of Research Testing and Consultation (BRTC) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) as consultant of the project on February 7 last for paving the way for expediting the pre- implementation process of the project.
The BRTC as an exclusive mother body under BUET to provide services as well to oversee outside projects has nominated the Department of Water Resources and Engineering (WRE) to work as consultant and supervise physically the work of the scheme.
” We are hopeful of beginning the main work of the project after completing all necessary pre-implementation process by the current year for completing the project within the stipulated time of June 2012″ Habibur Rahman Khan, the Project Director of Capital Dredging project of CPA told BSS.
As one of the important priority project of the government CPA is providing whole chunk of money for it, he said they were working relentlessly to complete all required components of the project by spending minimum times.
Leader of BUET Consultant Team and Head of the WRE Dr M A Matin , told BSS that the formal agreement between BUET and CPA on the project would be signed within this month. ” I am expecting, the preparation of Pre-Qualification (PQ) documents, short-listing of pre-qualified bidders, floating tenders, their evaluation and final awarding can be done within next six months so that the authority could start physical work of the project by this year,” Dr. Matin said.
The width and depth of the river in the areas earmarked for capital dredging has been reduced alarmingly due to heavy silt, dumping of waste and illegal encroachments badly affected in anchoring of vessels and movement and discharging of imported goods brought by lighter vessels from mother vessels. As the lighter vessels, at present, cannot anchor at upstream of CPA main jetties near Sadarghat and Chaktai areas, they are used to berth haphazardly at the main port channel causing a constant threat to the movement of ocean going vessels.
CPA officials said frequent naval accidents at port channel in recent times is one of the main cause of reckless plying and anchoring of lighter vessels at the main port channel. In the course of time, the three km areas of the Karnaphuli River has emerged as big size tumour on the chest of waterways which now increased abnormally.
PD Habibur Rahman Khan said there was no alternative to conduct a major operation to remove the tumour otherwise further slides of mud and sand from the area to the main port channel might fill up the whole river.
He said goods carrying and unloading costs by lighter vessel from mother vessels would lessen considerably and productivity in the operations of lighter vessels would increases to three times high after completion of the capital dredging and construction of RCC jetty at Sadarghat area ultimately would have a positive impact on the economy particularly the average domestic market price of the imported commodities.
He said around 3.5 million cubit meters earth to be lifted from the riverbed under the project, which would be used for filling up reclaimed lands and river protection wall. The 2.5 km marine driveway on city sides on the east bank of the river would link 26 km long Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) planned marine driveway which would encompass major portion of the port city from Patenga to Kalurghat bridge point.

Courtesy of BSS via The New Nation