Construction of most Boro crop protection structures yet to start

SYLHET, Dec 19: Construction of most of the structures for Boro crop protection could not be started in Sylhet region although it was reset for December 17 by the Water Development Board (WDB), official sources admitted.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Sunamganj district committee for scheme preparation, implementation and monitoring, on December 08.

However, works on only three out of 700 were started over the last two days, informed WDB Executive Engineer-I Sabibur Rahman, also member-secretary of the said committee, this morning. Of the schemes, two are in Dharmapasha and the other is in Jagonnathpur upazila, he added.

The official told this correspondent works on the rest of the schemes would be started after the district committee's meeting scheduled for December 22. Hopefully it would be in full swing from December 23, he said, adding, "we had already completed the pre-work measurements on sites of all the schemes."

The official said works would be done on about 1,000 km crop protection embankments out of the total 1,600 km for protecting 37 large haors in Sunamganj district.

Spot survey and pre-work measurements on the sites in remote areas had been delayed due to slow recession of water from the haors in the region, the official added.

Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj, also the head of the district-level committee for monitoring, Md Abdul Ahad said, "There would no unnecessary schemes this year as we are cautious in selecting those. Besides, negligence in works would also be dealt seriously."

"We would ensure the works on the vulnerable, less vulnerable and most vulnerable embankment schemes are done on time to avert any possible risk of natural calamity like early rains or others", he added.

Formation of Project Implementation Committees (PICs) for schemes to protect Boro paddy on haors was delayed this year. Although the centrally-set deadline ended November 30, it was reset for December 17. Now it would be completed in a day or two, the official added.

The WDB had earlier given the deadline with a target to starting works from December 15 for completing those by February 28, officials said.

With a target to executing the crop protection embankment and other structures, 572 PICs were formed last year in haor-rich Sunamganj district only while about 700 are targeted this year at a cost of Tk 674.5 million.

A number of farmers, however, alleged irregularities in formation of PIC makes way for corruption. Demanding inclusion of members in the PICs, the district unit of Krishak League last week demanded total transparency in PICs' formation as well as executing the schemes on time to avert the risks of crop loss by calamities like early rains others. Misuse of public money should be stopped any way, they said.

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