Photo : BSS

By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, March 7, 2025 (BSS)- A major project aimed at protecting assets
worth approximately Tk 3,231.33 crore from the erosion of the Padma River is
underway in Rajshahi.

Set for completion by June 2026, this initiative is designed to safeguard
both immovable and movable properties along the river's left bank in Charghat
and Bagha upazilas.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has been implementing the
project titled "Protection of Installations along the Left Bank of the Padma
River from its Erosion in Charghat and Bagha Upazilas in Rajshahi" which
carries an estimated cost of Taka 616.80 crore.

According to BWDB's Superintending Engineer Probir Kumar Goshwami, who is
overseeing the project, embankment protection work is being carried out over
a 5.1 kilometer stretch, with infrastructure development totaling Taka 354.10
crore.

"We are also conducting dredging over a 12.1-km stretch to restore
navigability and redirect the water flow to the middle of the river, at a
cost of Taka 262.7 crore," he told BSS on Thursday.

The project aims to reclaim land and protect the left bank by adjusting the
flow of the river, especially in areas vulnerable to erosion. Once completed,
the project will offer better access to the river with the addition of
stairs, as well as benches along the embankment, transforming the area into a
potential tourist and recreational hub.

Key areas to be protected include the vulnerable regions of Raotha, Alaipur,
Meerganj, Gakulpur and Charghat.

The dredging work will ultimately strengthen the river-embankment protection
work in addition to protecting the most-vulnerable and erosion-prone Pakuria
and Chalk Rajapur unions under Bagha upazila from the erosion of the Padma
River.

Incorporating environmental sustainability, the project involves constructing
crossbars using dredged sand, which will create opportunities to reclaim 120
hectares of land. Trees are being planted on the crossbars which will ensure
an environment-friendly atmosphere besides mitigating the adverse impact of
climate change.

It is believed that sustainable and dependable embankment and dredging work
will ensure poverty alleviation, employment generation and improvement in
living conditions of locals.
 
Professor Niamul Bari of the Department of Civil Engineering at Rajshahi
University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) said the river-bank areas
including Alaipur, Kishorepur, Panikamra and Meerganj in Bagha upazila and
Pirojpur and Raotha in Charghat upazila are erosion-prone and many of those
areas have already been devoured by the river.
 
Over the past 15-20 years, around two kilometers of land along with homes and
croplands have been eroded, making many homeless almost every year.

Prof Bari believes the project will provide much-needed relief from these
recurring natural disasters.

The project will also benefit nearby key installations, such as the
Bangladesh Police Academy, Rajshahi Cadet College and the BGB outpost, with
the potential for turning these reclaimed areas into tourist attractions, he
mentioned.

In addition to protecting the environment and improving living conditions,
the project will support local communities by providing employment
opportunities, fostering economic development and contributing to climate
change resilience.

BWDB's Additional Chief Engineer Mukhlesur Rahman highlighted that previous
works, including the protection of a 4.905-km stretch and the rehabilitation
of three groins at the cost of Taka 268.17-crore, have already transformed
the riverbank into a vibrant area, now resembling an amusement park.