Taltala River at Dumuria silted up just a year after dredging

DUMURIA, KHULNA, Aug 7: The Taltala River in Dumuria Upazila of Khulna has become heavily silted up again just a year after it was dredged, prompting residents to question the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of the project.

The river, near the Sundarbunia Bridge in Atlia Union, has reportedly filled with sediment to the point where sections have become level with adjacent farmland, alarming farmers, fishers and local residents.

They fear the loss of navigability will worsen water-logging during the monsoon and create irrigation shortages in the dry season.

According to local sources, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) dredged the river last year to restore its natural flow and improve drainage in the area. However, within a year, large amounts of silt have accumulated, raising concerns about the quality of the dredging work and whether adequate planning had been undertaken.

Atlia Union Parishad Chairman Sheikh Helal Uddin said residents had hoped the dredging would provide a lasting solution to chronic water-logging.

"People were optimistic after the river was dredged. But before a year had passed, it became silted up again. If a river returns to its previous condition within such a short time despite spending a large amount of public money, questions about the project's durability are inevitable," he said.

He urged the authorities to conduct a technical assessment and undertake fresh dredging along with a long-term maintenance plan.

Contacted for comment, BWDB Executive Engineer Ujjwal Kumar Sen said rapid siltation is common in coastal rivers because of tidal movements and heavy sediment flow.

"The matter has come to our attention and preliminary information has already been collected. We will assess the river's geographical characteristics and sediment patterns before deciding on the next course of action," he said.

He added that a technical team would soon visit the area to determine whether a sustainable solution could be implemented to restore the river's flow.

Local residents, including Srikanta, Balram, Rafiqul Islam and Sabita Rani, warned that if the river is not dredged again soon, hundreds of acres of cropland could be affected by water-logging, causing significant losses for farmers during the current growing season.