Sylhet, June 24 - The dredging project for Sylhet's two main rivers, Surma and Kushiyara, has been stuck in files for a long time. Despite plans to dredge the rivers to a depth of 4.3 meters and a width of 90 meters, the Surma Kushiyara Capital Dredging Project has not seen the light of day even after four years.
 
According to sources at BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority), the five-year project aims to dredge 18 rivers simultaneously. The plan includes dredging the Surma River to a depth of 4.3 meters and a width of 90 meters, with an estimated total cost of 1,675 crore taka. Experts attribute the flooding in Sylhet city and various parts of the district over the past few years to the siltation of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers.
 
BIWTA's Executive Engineer (Civil) A. S. M. Mashrekul Arefin, who is in charge of the project, stated that the project was taken up to carry out capital dredging of 18 rivers, including the main rivers of Sylhet region, Surma and Kushiyara. The project's no-objection certificate was sent to the Ministry of Finance in the first week of this month. Once the no-objection certificate is received, it will be sent to the Planning Commission.
 
After approval from the Planning Commission, the project will be presented to and passed by ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council). Subsequently, BIWTA will start the project implementation activities. He said that once the project is implemented, the navigability of the rivers in the Sylhet region will be restored. The project was prepared after an on-site study by BIWTA's expert team.
 
Despite the initial enthusiasm for dredging the Surma and Kushiyara rivers following the floods of 2022, the people of Sylhet are disappointed that the project has not yet started. The severity of the 2024 floods is attributed to the failure to carry out dredging on time.
 
According to BIWTA, in 2020, expert engineers conducted on-site studies and prepared a development project proposal (DPP) for dredging the Surma River, Kushiyara River, Kalni River, Jadukata River, Rakti River, Baulai River, Manu River, Purangi River, Jumnal Canal River, Khoyai River, Sutang River, Beleshwari Canal River, Titas River, Pagla River, Buri River, Mogra River, Kangsha River, and Upper Meghna River. The project was then sent to the Planning Commission in 2021. The Planning Commission returned the project to BIWTA with some notes for revision.
 
In early 2022, the project was revised and resubmitted to the Planning Commission, but it was returned again for further revision. Thus, four years have passed with various delays, and the general public in Sylhet has yet to see any progress, let alone the actual dredging of the rivers.

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