Sand lifting threatens bridge
Contractor defies UNO order, continues extraction at dead of night
A dredger set by a contractor, also a local leader of Jatiya Party, extracts sand from Buri Teesta River in Dimla upazila under Nilphamari district, posing threat to the adjacent newly constructed bridge connecting the district headquarters with Domar upazila.Photo: STAR
A newly constructed important bridge over Buri Teesta River in Dimla upazila of the district is under risk due to sand extraction from the riverbed only 50 metres off the bridge. The men of the contractor concerned are lifting sand from the area for completion of an approach road while with the upazila authorities of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) are turning a blind eye. Joinal Abedin, a well-known contractor of the district, started construction of the 171-metre-long and 5.12-metre-wide bridge, locally known as “Shoila bridge” in Sadar union of Dimla upazila following a work order on April 12 in 2009. But the bridge built at a cost of Tk 4.14 crore is yet to be handed over to LGED as the department authorities at the last stage of the work found that the approach road was not built as per design. And so, contractor Joinal Abedin was directed to rebuild the road properly through expansion on both sides. But the contractor set a locally made heavy dredger on the riverbed very close to the bridge and started extracting sand to fill the lower structure of the metalled approach road. Vacuum in the riverbed caused by sand extraction poses threat to the concrete bridge that serves as a convenient link between the district headquarters and Dimla upazila and Domar and Dimla upazilas. It also shortens road distance from Lalmonirhat and Panchagarh districts to Nilphamari. Following verbal complaints from a number of people regarding sand extraction from the riverbed near Shoila bridge, Mizanur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Dimla, visited the sight on May 16 and stopped sand extraction with the dredger machine. However, the UNO, as per earlier schedule, left the upazila to join his new workplace the following day and his successor is yet to join the office. Meanwhile, men of the influential contractor, also a local leader of Jatiya Party (JP), a component of ruling Awami League-led grand alliance, have continued sand extraction from the sight at dead of night, said locals. Locals' objection to sand extraction from the riverbed fell into deaf ears, said Mohabbat Hossain, a health worker at a Dimla hospital, who uses the bridge regularly. Rabiul Alam, vice chairman of Dimla upazila parishad, said the pillars of the bridge as well as the river embankments will be affected if a hole is created near the bridge due to sand extraction. On contact, Rashidul Alam Bidyut, a representative of the contractor, claimed that extraction of sand from the riverbed is 'minimum' and they are not operating the dredger to extract sand for the last few days. Asked about the matter a few days ago, Shyamapada Ghosh, upazila engineer of Dimla said, "I am aware of sand extraction by the contractor's men from riverbed with a locally made dredger. It will not affect the bridge in any way as its foundation is very strong." This correspondent could not talk to contractor Joinal Abedin for his comments as he did not receive phone calls despite repeated attempts.
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