The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the procurement of 20 dredgers with other necessary machineries and equipment involving Tk 2,048 crore to maintain the navigability of the country`s rivers, reports UNB. The approval was given at the 3rd Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of seven development projects were approved today with an overall outlay of Tk 2,384.85 crore. "Of the total project cost, Tk 2,372.85 crore will come from the national exchequer while the rest of Tk 12 crore from the organisation`s own fund," he said. Of the approved seven projects, six are new while one is revised project. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Shipping Ministry will implement the dredger procurement project by December 2019. Under the project, some 20 dredgers would be incorporated in the BIWTA fleet and those include the procurement of some six 26-inch cutter suction dredgers, nine 20-inch cutter suction dredgers, five 18-inch cutter suction dredgers, 20 crane boats, eight tugboats, 20 crew-house boats, eight officers houseboats, five inland survey vessels, 10 survey work boats, 12 barges, 12 pipe-carrying barges, five well barges, four water barges and 3200 shore pipes. According to the `Feasibility Study of Capital Dredging and Sustainable River Management in Bangladesh (FSCD & SRMB), conducted by the Bangladesh Water Development Board with joint initiatives from both local and foreign experts, showed that there will be need of some 216 cutter suction dredgers for dredging some 23 big and medium rivers. The BIWTA fleet has so far got 18 dredgers, while three more dredgers will be procured by 2015 for which the number of dredgers to be raised to 21 with the annual dredging capacity of 110 lakh cubic meters. According to officials, there is a need for having some 882.53 lakh cubic meters of dredging every year throughout the country to maintain the navigability of the rivers. Meanwhile, the annual dredging capacity of the country`s private dredging companies is 140 lakh cubic meter. The joint dredging capacity of the dredgers of BIWTA and that of the private dredgers now stood at 250 lakh cubic meters. With that calculation, the annual dredging capacity deficit stood at 632.53 lakh cubic meters where this project could play an important role in meeting the deficit of dredging. Under the project, the Planning Minister said, 10 dredgers would be collected in the first two years while the rest 10 dredgers during the last two years. The meeting also approved Sonahat Land Port Development Project with Tk 36.50 crore to be entirely borne by the state coffer. Bangladesh Land Port Authority will develop the necessary infrastructures of the Sonahat Land Port to increase the facility of storing of imported and exported goods between India and Bangladesh as well as easing their transportation. Under the project, there will be land acquisition of some 14.88 acres alongside some 106,500 land development at the project site under Bhurugumari upazila of Kurigram district. The day`s Ecnec meeting gave nod to another project titled construction of two 15-storey residential buildings for the JCO and other ranked officials at the BGB headquarters with Tk 58.69 crore. BGB under the Home Ministry will implement the project by June, 2015. The other projects approved at the meeting are Godagari-Amnura-Nachol-Parbatipur-Adda road development with Tk 62.49 crore, road development and drain-cum-footpath construction of Rangpur city corporation with Tk 60 crore, establishment of Sheikh Russell Aviary and echo park at Rangunia, Chittagong with Tk 40.04 crore, extending irrigation facility and removing water logging through increasing surface water availability in Naogaon district with Tk 79.13 crore. Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were also present.