C T Online Desk: About 500 meters of the river Karnafuli has disappeared in the last 22 years. At the same time, the Shah Amanat Bridge is under threat due to the increase in depth on one side of the upper slope.
This information was given by an organization called ‘Karnafuli River and Canal Protection Movement’ at a press conference held at Chittagong Press Club on Sunday (May 22) on the occasion of releasing the report ‘Depth and Occupancy Survey of Karnafuli River 2022’. According to the report, in 2000, the width of Karnafuli river was 930.31 meters. But at present the width of this river is 410 meters. About 500 meters of the river has disappeared in the last 22 years.
Experts also say that the south side of the Shah Amanat Bridge could collapse due to the gradual shifting of chars on one side and soil on the other. The survey was conducted on the actual situation and occupation of the bottom of Karnafuli river from March 1 to April 30 this year. The survey was conducted by Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) Civil Engineering Professor and Road Communication Specialist. Swapan Kumar Palit, Karnafuli expert heroic freedom fighter Professor. Idris Ali and Marine Specialist Professor Noman Ahmed Siddiqui.
The depth of the river bed is measured at low tide by manual and fatometer. It shows that the normal flow of Karnafuli river is 25 feet in Char Patharghata Bridgeghat area, 36 feet along the middle river and 24 feet in Firingi Bazar Bridgeghat area on the north side. Due to regular dredging of this area, the river has normal flow. But just 500 meters upstream, at the mouth of the Chaktai canal, 300 feet from the actual boundary of Karnafuli on the north side, the depth of the river is only 2 feet, 13.7 feet along the middle river and 48 feet near the shore on the south side. Moreover, the depth of the middle river is only 4 feet at the mouth of Rajakhali canal on the north side, 500 feet upstream of the river.
But the depth of the river along the third pillar of Shah Amanat Bridge is 60.9 feet. Marine Specialist Professor Noman Siddiqui, Professor Pradeep Kumar Das, Professor Janardan Banik, Advocate Selim Chowdhury, SM Peer Ali, Zafar Ahmed and others were present on the occasion.
