The Muhuri Irrigation Project implemented on the Feni River in the border area of Chattogram and Feni is losing its effectiveness. The normal flow is changing due to siltation in the downstream area. The CDSP dam, vast area and hundreds of fishing grounds have been affected by the collapse. As a result, the project which was implemented at a cost of Taka 168 crore in the financial year 1985-86 is set to be ruined.
The local people's representatives and the administration say that if the dam breaks in the current monsoon season, there will be a catastrophic disaster. People in the surrounding areas will lose their homes, farmers will lose land, and hundreds of fishing grounds will be lost in the river. The development work of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City the largest special economic zone of the country to be implemented in this area will be hampered.
On closer inspection, it is seen that about 700 square meters area downstream of the project has been filled with silt by 75 percent. As a result, instead of changing the course of the river, small chars are rising on one side and erosion has occurred on the other side. Again some of the irrigation gates of the irrigation project have already lost their effectiveness due to siltation.
Dukhu Mia, a local resident of Ochmanpur Union in Mirsarai, said that in the dry season of 2019, sand and soil started freezing in the face of the project. When the rains started that year, there was a breakdown. Which the people here have not seen in the last 35 years. Hundreds of fish have already been lost in the river.
Meanwhile 27.125 hectares of land in Mirsarai, Feni and Sonagazi upazilas come under Eri cultivation every year during the dry season under Muhuri Irrigation Project. It is feared that if the silt deposits in the river are not dredged on an urgent basis before the onset of heavy rains, village after village upstream of the river will be affected by the floods and the lands will remain uncultivated.
Mohammad Hossain, a farmer from Azampur village in Ochmanpur union of Mirsarai said ‘We understand the behavior of the river. If the accumulated sand is excavated, everything will be fine. We haven't seen a breakdown here in the last 35 years. Now it is collapsing due to sand deposits.’
It is to be mentioned that the 11.5 km long dam was implemented in 1994 under the Char Development and Settlement Project (CDSP) to protect the vast area of Mirsarai from the erosion of the Bay of Bengal. Due to this dam, thousands of acres of fishing grounds were formed in Banshkhali and Ichakhali areas. From which 70 percent of the fish food demand of Chittagong is produced.
According to the Feni Water Development Board, in August 2012 parts of the CDSP dam broke and sank into the sea. At that time the broken part was rebuilt by understanding the nature of the movement of the river and turning it in another direction.
Meanwhile, it is feared that the failure to install a safety buck on the west side of the CDSP dam on an emergency basis will lead to a major catastrophe in the current monsoon season.
A closer look at the CDSP dam area reveals that an area of about two kilometers north of the dam is located in the Feni river basin. The rest has flowed into the Bay of Bengal basin. According to the locals, at one time the distance between the river and the sea was about 700 meters. At present there is a distance of 10 meters and somewhere between 50 meters. It is expected that this important dam will face severe breakage in this monsoon season.
It has been seen that the CC Water Buck was installed by the government for protection from water development board to prevent erosion at
different times but now it has disappeared in the river bed.
Mirsarai Upazila Chairman in the context of the CDSP dam breach. Jasim Uddin said, ‘I saw it from the people of the area. Terrible situation there. Disaster can strike at any time. We have sent an e-mail to the Hon'ble Minister of Water Resources and Secretary to take urgent steps in this regard.’
On the other hand, work is underway to implement Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City, the largest special economic zone in the country, on 30,000 acres of land on the shores of the Bay of Bengal in Mirsarai. The CDSP dam is defending the entire northern part of the dam. The local people's representatives and the administration are worried that the development work of the industrial city will be hampered if it breaks down.
Mirsarai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Minhazur Rahman said, if the Water Development Board authorities do not take effective action in this regard there will be a catastrophe. The development work of human settlements, fisheries projects and special economic zones under implementation will be affected.”
Mirsarai Upazila Parishad Chairman Jasim Uddin said, “I have talked to the Economic Zone Authority about the breakdown. They have stated that they will not be able to finance such projects. I later contacted the Water Development Board about the matter.”
Water Development Board (Paubo) Feni Executive Engineer Zahir Uddin did not receive the call while contacted. However, the sub-divisional engineer Nurun Nabi said, "We have already taken initiative for sediment dredging in the downstream area of the river." There has also been a technical committee in this regard. If all had not stopped due to the Corona situation, its activities would have gone further.
The Muhuri Irrigation Project was implemented to utilize the combined water flow of Feni, Muhuri and Kalidas rivers for irrigation and to protect vast areas of Feni, Sonagazi and Mirsarai areas from floods and erosion. It started in the financial year 1977-78 and was completed in the financial year 1985-86. The project with 40 widgets cost Tk 168 crore, funded by SIDA, EEC and World Bank.
