BIWTA finds violation of rules in construction of Jhikargachha Bridge

The existing bridge construction regulations were flouted in the construction of the Jhikargachha Bridge on the River Kapatakkha in Jashore, finds an investigation committee of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has constructed the bridge on the Jashore-Benapole highway without a BIWTA clearance and without leaving sufficient space beneath for a smooth navigation of vessels, according to sources.

The bridge has been constructed under the Cross Border Road Network Improvement Project, which includes constructions of two new bridges – each 120 metres long and 15 metres wide – across the Kapatakkha, with a Tk150 crore funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The construction of the second bridge was stopped after the BIWTA investigation found that the first one was constructed at a lower height.

Local people allege that boats will not be able to navigate under the bridge at all during the peak rainy season.

According to the report of the BIWTA investigation committee, the bridge has been constructed without taking any navigational clearance from the water transport body, which, as per "Rules of Installation Construction Controlling over Inland Waterways and on the Shore 2010", is mandatory before constructing any bridge on a river.

The report noted that the height of the bridge is so low that it fails to meet the requirement for the "least class" of vessels – 5-metre high and 20-metre long, according to water vessels classification. But, the lower part of the bridge's girder is only 2.61 metres above the standard high water level.

The report also said the Kapatakkha is suitable for the navigation of Class III vessels, and a bridge needs a vertical clearance of 7.62 metres. But the bridge's height is 5.01 metres less than the required vertical clearance.

On the other hand, the existing horizontal clearance of the bridge is 37.3 metres. For the navigation of the Class III vessels, horizontal clearance of a bridge should be 30.48 metres. In this case, the bridge's horizontal clearance is more than the requirement.

The BIWTA report recommends that steps be taken through an inter-ministerial meeting to rectify the violations of rules.

Shipping Secretary Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury said the Jhikargachha Bridge has been built on an important naval route of the country. Several inter-ministerial meetings have been held over the issue, but no decision has been made yet about the bridge.

According to the investigation report, there are 24 more low-height bridges, small and big, over the river.

The shipping secretary said a project has been undertaken to find out the low height bridges, through measuring all the bridges built on important naval routes of the country. Once the project is implemented, action will be taken as per decision of the cabinet division.

The highway on which the bridge is situated is the only way to Benapole, the main land port of the country. The new bridge has been built after demolishing a 50-year old narrow bridge.

The Roads and Highways Department, however, claimed that the new bridge has been built following the girder level of the old bridge.

Ashrafuzzaman, bridge project manager of the RHD, said, "The two bridges have been designed as per the advice of experts following the height of the old bridge. If the river water touches the girder, then the river has to be dredged. Otherwise, boats will not be able to pass."

Shyamal Kumar Bhattacharyya, project director of Cross Border Road Network Improvement Project, claimed that the vertical clearance (the distance between the lower girder and water level) of the new bridge is one foot more than the old one.

He noted, "The previous bridge was 60-70 years old and there was no objection from the BIWTA during the entire time. The BIWTA is now raising objections, although we made the bridge higher than the previous one."

"We have stopped the construction of the second bridge following the BIWTA's objection. We have formed a committee to look into the matter," he added.