For the past four years, the feasibility study of the Ariyal Kha, Madhumati Billroot Canal, Kumar, Kirtinasha, and Torki rivers has remained stalled, delaying any field-level interventions to prevent river erosion or resolve navigability issues.
The erosion of these rivers, which flow through Madaripur, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, and Barisal districts, has been reducing arable land and displacing thousands of people each year. The delay in the feasibility study has hindered effective water resource management, leaving the region’s large population vulnerable.
Officials at the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) believe that completing the feasibility study, based on the basin areas of the rivers in the Barisal region, would allow effective steps to prevent erosion and ensure the multi-purpose use of water resources.
Sanaul Kader Khan, executive engineer at the Madaripur Water Development Board, said there are plans to conserve riverbanks and dredge the Ariyal Kha, Kumar, Madhumati Billroot Canal, Kirtinasha, and Torki rivers. The project, initiated in 2021, has an estimated cost of Tk1,482.17 crore. However, implementation cannot proceed without the completion of the feasibility study.
He added that under the project, titled “Feasibility Study of Basin-Based Water Resource Management Project for Barisal Region Rivers,” assessments are underway for riverbank protection and dredging. A Development Project Proposal (DPP) for 37.11km of riverbank protection and 12km of dredging has been submitted to the BWDB, with a cost of Tk1,482.17 crore.
For the Ariyal Kha River, another DPP, “Protection and Rehabilitation of Madaripur Town and Surrounding Areas,” has been submitted to the Planning Commission via the Ministry of Water Resources, proposing 4.356km of rehabilitation work and 0.550km of new riverbank protection, costing Tk169.25 crore. Both projects remain unapproved due to incomplete feasibility studies.
Sanaul Kader Khan noted that the Planning Division-1 of the BWDB will conduct the study, which is currently under evaluation. A budget of Tk10 crore has been allocated, and a tender worth Tk4.08 crore is under review for conducting the study.
With the start of this monsoon season, erosion along the Ariyal Kha, Kumar, Kirtinasha, Torki, and Palardi rivers has intensified, engulfing homes and farmlands. The BWDB is assessing damages, but the process is not yet complete.
Advocate Masud Parvez, president of the Madaripur Development Struggle Council, said, “A long-term project was taken up to protect the livelihoods of people living along riverbanks in Greater Faridpur and Barisal regions, ensure irrigation, flood control, and riverbank conservation. However, the project has been stuck for the past four years due to bureaucratic complications, and official processes are progressing very slowly.”
He emphasized that implementing the project is essential to boost agricultural productivity, improve living standards, protect rivers, and ensure proper water resource management. The delay has caused widespread suffering in Madaripur, Gopalganj, and the broader Faridpur region, leaving many people destitute.
Project Director Md Abdur Rakib said the feasibility study would be conducted at the field level in Greater Faridpur and Barisal regions. The process of appointing a consultant is underway and is expected to be finalized within 10 to 15 days. Once appointed, the consultant will begin fieldwork, after which project implementation will commence. Tender evaluations for the study are nearly complete.
