Mansur Alam, Pabna: The navigability crisis in the Padma-Jamuna Rivers has taken a serious shape due to the sand coming with the river water during the rainy season and the water level has decreased to an abnormal level.

In addition, due to the increase in the number of submarines in the Jamuna-Padma, ferry traffic on the Kazirhat-Aricha river route has stopped again.

Various goods including chemical fertilizers are being brought to Nagarbari and Baghabari River ports by lighterage from Daulatdia cargo ships. Due to this, import and export at Nagarbari-Baghabari ports has come down by almost half. Hundreds of workers are about to become unemployed. Meanwhile, BIWTA has been carrying out dredging activities for the last three months to keep the river channel operational. They are dumping the dredged spoil in the river. As a result, silt and sand are being deposited in the shallows due to the pull of the current, creating a submerged channel again. This is only a waste of money, and nothing is being done. Multiple local sources have said that BIWTA’s unplanned dredging is responsible. According to a source from the Pabna Hydrology Department of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the combined flow of the Brahmaputra and Teesta rivers is being carried by the Jamuna River. The decrease in the water flow of the Teesta and Brahmaputra rivers has had an adverse effect on the Jamuna River. As a result, the navigability crisis in the Jamuna has taken a serious shape, according to the relevant sources. On the other hand, the navigability crisis has arisen in the Padma River due to the Farakka effect. Mohammad NasirUddin, DGM of BIWTC Aricha office, said that a water depth of 8 to 9 feet is required for ferry operation. There, the water depth in this waterway channel is only 6 to 7 feet. Ferry operation has been stopped due to this navigability crisis. Hasan Ahmed, executive engineer of the dredging department of BIWTA, said, “Our waterway is under the Aricha division up to Baghabari. The water is receding at an abnormal rate of one to one and a half feet every day. This year, the amount of water loss is much more compared to other years. This has taken a serious shape to the water crisis.” He further said, “The water depth from BeraMohanganj to Aricha is 6 to 7 feet. BIWTA is working to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel oil and chemical fertilizers in the northern region. It is known that five dredgers are working to remove silt and sand to keep this nationally important and sensitive waterway operational.”