BOX CULVERT-A threat for 30 Haor villages, Moulvibazar

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BOX CULVERT-A threat for 30 Haor villages, Moulvibazar

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Published : Monday, 27 November, 2023 at 4:55 PM, Update: 06.05.2024 6:08:45 PM, Count : 874

BOX CULVERT-A threat for 30 Haor villages, Moulvibazar

Because of this box culvert, built in Biraimabad upazila in Moulvibazar, crops are rotting away on surrounding areas, as water inundates the land during monsoon. Boats are the only means of transportation for people of several villages in Kauadighi Haor, one of the largest haors of Moulvibazar, during monsoon. But, due to the construction of an unplanned box culvert, people of at least 30 villages in the haor, under Sadar and Biraimabad upazilas, are facing untold suffering and damage to their crops. As the box culvert is quite low, it takes a significant amount of time for water to recede from the adjacent croplands. As a result, standing paddies on vast tracts of land rot away every year.

For a long time, locals have been demanding to demolish the structure and construct a new bridge there. They have also held various agitation programmes to press home their demand. Farmer Kripesh Baidya of Dattagram village said as the height of the culvert is low, it obstructs the free flow of water during monsoon. Moreover, if it rains a bit heavily, their paddy fields often
go under stagnant water, he said, adding that Aman paddies on vast tracts of land were damaged

last year. Md Gulam Kibria Uzzal, another farmer from Kachua village, said due to the height, no one could take the paddies home last year, because boats cannot even ply properly under the culvert.

Rajan Ahmad, general secretary of Haor Rakkha Sangram Committee's Moulvibazar Sadar unit, said the culvert had been constructed without taking into consideration the life and livelihood ofhaor people. Because of the low height, locals, including farmers and fishers, of at least 30villages are left to suffer immensely every day. Due to lack of opportunities for plying boats,

collection of fodder for cows and buffaloes from the haor are being badly disrupted, he said. Now, there is no alternative but to demolish the culvert and build a new bridge to relieve thepeople, he added.

On November 25, 2023, hundreds of residents of several villages under Biraimabad upazila, located on the eastern side of Kauadighi Haor, formed a human chain under the leadership of Shahajhan Ahamad Saju, Executive Committee member of HAOR RAKKAH SANGRAM COMMITTEE on Balaganj road, with the demand of demolish the structure. A memorandum

signed by hundreds of inhabitants of the haor area was submitted to Motiur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner (ADC), and Javed Iqbal, executive engineer at Moulvibazar Water Development Board (WDB) after the completion of the human chain.

Moulvibazar Roads and Highways Department (RHD) Executive Engineer Mohammad Zia Uddin said the initiative to construct the culvert was taken to reduce road accidents. However, considering the benefits of locals, the problem will be resolved soon, he said.

According toMoulvibazar Roads and Highways Department (RHD), authorities constructed the culvert on Moulvibazar-Balaganj road at Biraimabad, spending about Tk 1 crore.

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