Patuakhali town protection embankment work begins
Work on Patuakhali town protection embankment project began here on Tuesday.
Patuakhali deputy commissioner (DC) AGM Mir Moshiur Alam inaugurated the work in Katpatti area here.
Earlier, Finance and Planning Advisor AB Mirza Azizul Islam approved the project involving Tk 22.29 crore on December 26. Initially, he allotted Tk 2 crore to start work on the project on emergency basis.
During approval of the project, the finance and planning advisor considered the issue of cyclone Sidr.
The project titled, 'Patuakhali Town Protection Embankment-cum-Drainage Project' has been designed to protect the district town from flash flood, erosion and stagnant water.
The project includes construction of 850 kilometre flood control embankment, 25 pipe culverts, nine box culverts, six water drainage-cum-flashing regulator, 315-metre road-cum-embankment, 600 metre flood wall, 17 outlets, four ferry boats and ghat as well as re-excavation of five kilometre channel.
Among others, district level officials, journalists, pourasabha officials and local elite were present at the inaugural ceremony.
Because of lack of dam, Patuakhali town was flooded with 8 to 10 feet tidal water during cyclone Sidr on November 15 last year.
On contact, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) executive engineer here Zahir Udddin Ahmed said, 'We got Tk 2 crore for beginning of the work. The entire work will finish within two years. The government will bear the total cost from its fund', he said.
A project was also undertaken in the sixties to protect Patuakhali town and coastal upazilas of Baufal, Dashmina, Galachipa, Kalapara and Mirzagonj from flood and saline water. Later, the town was excluded from the project.
Patuakhali town is surrounded by the Lawkathi river in the North and Lohalia river in the East. Water from the rivers roll down the town during high tide. Two-thirds of the town is always submerged by 2 to 5 feet floodwater or rainwater.
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