Desk Report:
The capital dredging work on the Karnaphuli River has been completed to increase the navigability of the Chittagong Port. As a result, the movement of large ships and lighter ships has become much easier than before. The depth of the river from Sadarghat to Bakliachar has increased by 4 meters. As a result, large ships can berth at the jetty. More and more lighter ships are also anchoring comfortably in the river.
The estimated cost of the project was Tk 295 crore. But the final cost was Tk 277 crore. This saved the port Tk 18 crore. The main goal of this project was to increase the navigability of the river and increase the efficiency of the port.
The first phase of the dredging project began in 2011. The Malaysian Maritime and Dredging Corporation (MMDC) was given the responsibility of the work. Pacific Marine Service was the local agent. But the contract had to be canceled due to the contractor’s failure. The project stalled for about five years as the company alleged that it was being damaged due to legal complications.
A new project for the second phase was taken in 2018. E-Engineering, an associate of the domestic company Saif Powertech, started the work. The main goal was to increase the navigability of the river from Sadarghat to Bakliachar, to extract soil and to carry out excavation activities. The project set a target of extracting 6.2 million cubic meters of soil.
The dredging work began on October 17, 2018. The project period was until May 2022. During the work, the polythene, plastic and household waste accumulated on the riverbed created a major obstacle.
A total of 20-25 bulk carriers and more than 10 grab dredgers were used in the dredging. First, the polythene, plastic and household waste accumulated on the riverbed were removed. Then the soil was extracted with dredgers. Special attention had to be paid to each step. As a result of this work, the depth of the river increased by 4 meters.
Rezaul Karim, project manager of the contractor company Saif Powertech, said that 20-25 bulk carriers and more than 10 grab dredgers were used in this work. After removing the piles of polythene, plastic and household waste, the soil was excavated at the site with a dredger.
Chittagong Port Secretary Omar Faruk said that the work was completed on the advice of BUET experts. The main goal was to increase the depth of the river and increase the port’s efficiency. Dredging activities will continue on our own initiative in the future. Chief Hydrographer Commander Md. Obaidur Rahman said, “Even after the project is over, we will continue dredging in certain parts throughout the year. So that soil from above does not reduce the depth of the river.”
There were various challenges in the implementation of the project. The excavation work was repeatedly hampered due to the high level of polythene and waste. The contractors overcame these challenges by using technology, manpower and planning. As a result of the excavation of the riverbed and the increase in navigability, experts have conducted surveys at every stage.
