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The much-talked-about flood control project undertaken following the devastating floods of 2022 in haor region could not achieve significant progress due to various obstacles.
The deadline for the 'Flood reconstruction emergency assistance project (FREAP)' is set to end in June 2026, but work cannot be completed yet.
According to the official statistics, the floods damaged crops worth Tk 11.13 billion (1,113 crore) in the haor region.
However, the major project work is being carried out by the Water Development Board (WDB).
Md Shafiqul Islam, additional chief Engineer of the BWDB (northeast region), told this correspondent that the overall project progress in the region is about 50 to 60 per cent.
"We're trying to complete this project by the deadline."
Refuting allegations of irregularities, he said large ditch-filling work on at least five points had been stalled in the face of obstacles by the lessees of water bodies in Derai and Shulla upazilas.
"However, we hope to work on the stalled spots soon as the additional secretary of water resources ministry on Sunday asked the lessees and locals to assist our job," the engineer said.
Meanwhile, additional secretary Abdul Latif Molla visited various sites of embankment protection and other work in remote Derai, Sadar, Jagonnathpur, Shantiganj and Shulla upazilas in Sunamganj on Saturday and Sunday.
The official also asked the lessees of various jalmohals (water bodies) not to create obstacles to the filling of ditches on embankments.
Besides, he asked them to help the ditch filling work, otherwise, fishing leases would be cancelled, he warned.
The additional secretary joined a meeting of the district water management committee with the DC and others officials on Sunday.
He said that an inquiry committee would soon investigate the alleged irregularities.
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