Fuel crunch halts Ichhamati River excavation in Pabna

The excavation work in the Ichamati River, which flows through the middle of Pabna town, has come to a standstill due to the prevailing fuel crisis.

Excavators of the project have been lying idle for more than a week for want of required diesel, which has raised doubts about the completion of the work on time, said those involved in the excavation.

During a field visit on Saturday, the mechanical equipment used in the excavation was seen standing still at various points of the river. Workers and drivers were spending their time idly waiting for work.

Local contractors, including subcontractor company 'Ahad Builders', said that due to the ongoing severe fuel crisis in the market, they were unable to procure diesel as per the demand.

Excavator driver Johnny told the FE, "We have not received any diesel for more than a week. Let alone operating the machine, time is being wasted sitting all day. How will the work progress if we sit like this?' Some local residents expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the delay.

Assistant professor Abul Kalam Azad, a resident of Pabna town, told The Financial Express, "This excavation work is being interrupted again and again. The monsoon season is coming, but there is no progress in the work. If the work is not completed on time, there will be nothing but waste of a huge amount of public money."

The contracting company concerned told the FE that they were having to count a huge financial loss every day due to the work being stopped.

In addition, the burden of workers' wages and equipment rental is increasing. If the work is not completed on time, the cost of the project will increase, and there is a risk that the newly excavated part will be filled up again during the monsoon.

However, the authorities termed the deadlock as 'temporary'. Describing the current situation of the project, 'Ichhamati River Restoration and Revitalisation', Project Director Sudhangshu Kumar Sarkar told the FE, "It is true that there are some problems due to the fuel crisis, but we are not sitting still. The district administration is taking steps to provide fuel shortly."

Pabna Deputy Commissioner Aminul Islam told the FE," We have informed the energy ministry about the fuel oil crisis. We hope that this crisis will be resolved soon."

In view of the long-standing demand of the people of Pabna, the excavation work along about 110 kilometers of the river began in 2023 at a cost of about Tk 15.54 billion (Tk 1,554 crore) under the Ichhamati River Revitalisation Project. Bangladesh Army's 24 Engineer Construction Brigade is implementing the project under the supervision of its Engineering Corps.

Under the project, 33.772 kilometers of the Ichhamati River will be excavated. The project work is scheduled to be completed by June 2027.

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