A nearly 80 metre area of the Padma Bridge site was devoured by the mighty Padma River at Kumarbhog point in Lauhojong, Munshiganj yesterday morning, only three days after 200 metres of the area collapsed into the river.
On Sunday, a jetty, link road, and a temporary concrete plant were washed away.
An official said about the collapse: “A portion of the project site has been eroded due to strong currents and a rise in the water level of the Padma River.”
He said appropriate measures would be taken to curb erosion in the area.
The first instance of erosion on the project site took place on June 27 this year. On that day, a 100 metre area was devoured by the river.
Shimulia-Kawrakandi ferry services remain halted for 7 days
Yesterday marked the seventh day that ferry service on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route, known as the gateway of 21 districts in the southern part of the country, has remained frozen. This step was taken due to a navigability crisis and strong currents causing great suffering the people who use the route.
Though almost all passenger buses changed their route to avoid the Shimulia ghat, over 300 goods-laden trucks got stuck on both sides of the Padma River.
Meanwhile, three lakh cubic metres of silt will be dredged to ready the channel for normal movement of the ferries. Two big dredgers of the Padma Bridge Project will be deployed today for dredging. It will take nearly a week to dredge the channel of the Shimulia-Kawarakandi route.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Executive Engineer Md Sultan Ahmed Khan said: “A total of 22 lakh cubic metres of silt will be removed from the riverbed.”
BIWTA Assistant Manager Shekhar Chandra Roy said: “Ferry Kusumkali and ferry Camelia are plying the river, but they have made only three trips on Tuesday.”
Mawa Naval Police outpost in-charge SL Md. Yunus said, “Passenger buses are no longer using this route. Almost 200 to 300 goods-laden trucks are waiting on both sides to cross the river.”
To have enough water in the channel, more dredging is needed. On the other hand, silt coming in with the strong current fills up the openings of the channel. For normal movement of the ferries, seven feet deep water is needed, but the water depth of the channel is less than six feet.
Shipping minister visits Shimulia ghat
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan visited Shimulia ghat in the afternoon. He said: “Four dredgers of the BIWTA are working for overcoming navigability crisis.
Later, he visited the river erosion site of the Padma Bridge Project construction yard. BIWTA Chairman Commodore M Mozammel Haq and other officials of the Padma Bridge Project and BIWTA accompanied him during his visit.
Our Staff Correspondent adds: The road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said erosion would not create any problem to built the Padma Bridge.
“The recent erosion will not affect the construction of Padma Bridge,” the minister said yesterday after a meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng.