Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) yesterday started dredging the Kirtonkhola river around Barisal River Port to ensure smooth and safe navigation of vessels during the upcoming Eid rush in mid-October.
Around 1,40,000 cubic metres of silt in a three-kilometre radius from the port will be removed in three phases using BIWTA dredgers, BIWTA Deputy Director Md Shahidullah told The Daily Star yesterday.
Char Kawwa Point, some three kilometres from the port, has been selected as the silt disposal site as it has been affected by erosion, he said.
The BIWTA estimates the dredging cost to be Tk 1.68 crore, said Shahidullah, also an official of the port, adding that it roughly takes Tk 120 to remove one cubic metre of silt.
He said the first phase of the dredging would continue till October 8 and remove around 40,000 cubic metres of silt.
A 10-member sub-committee comprising officials of BIWTA, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation and the port, the district administration representatives, law enforcers and journalists will supervise the work.