Saline Sand Alleged in Tk 138 Crore Payra Protection Blocks: Amtoli Residents Fear They Will Not Last
Allegations have surfaced that saline and substandard sand is being used in block construction worth more than Tk 138 crore to stop erosion of the Payra river in Amtoli, Barguna. Although the tender conditions require the sand's FM value to be above 2.00, locals claim that requirement is not being followed.
Residents fear that if sand of the specified standard is not used, the finished blocks will erode and be destroyed quickly. And if the blocks do not last, the very purpose of the project — protecting settlements and farmland along the erosion-prone Payra — will be defeated.
It is learnt that in the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Barguna Water Development Board (BWDB) undertook block construction to resist the severe erosion of the Payra river. Work to build 4,500 metres of blocks on the Baithakata 43/1 polder in Chaora union and the Pashurbunia 44/B polder in Arpangashia union was awarded in 13 packages to various contractors. Several packages have been completed over the past two years.
Currently, block construction is under way on 600 metres under packages 3 and 4 of polder 43/1 and another 600 metres under packages 14 and 15 of polder 44/B. The combined tender value of these four packages stands at Tk 1,384,832,176 — and all four packages were won by a single contractor, Nation Tech.
Locals say the tender specifies that selection sand must be used for the blocks, with an FM value above 2.00. They allege the contractor has brought in saltwater sand from Chattogram and stockpiled it for these four packages. Last Wednesday, its workers began building blocks with that sand.
Residents further allege that although the matter was reported to the BWDB, it is not taking action for unknown reasons. Their demand is that the sand be replaced through a quick investigation and the blocks built with selection sand.
Local residents Rahman Mia, Hatem and Khairul Islam said: 'The contractor has brought saltwater sand from Chattogram and stockpiled it. Work began with that sand on Wednesday. Blocks built with this sand will not be durable. They will erode and be ruined within a short time. That will defeat the government's main purpose.'
A BWDB work assistant, speaking on condition of anonymity, echoed the same concern: 'The sand Nation Tech has stockpiled for the Payra river blocks does not have the required FM value. Blocks built with that sand will not last long.'
The contractor, Nation Tech, takes a different position. Its civil engineer Abul Khayer said: 'We checked the sand's FM value before unloading and stockpiling it in the field. Blocks will be built with this sand and tested at BUET. If they fail the test, the blocks will be rejected.'
Nation Tech manager Golam Faruk also said: 'We have started block construction with the stockpiled sand. There is no problem with this sand. If there is a problem, a lab test after construction will catch it. If a problem is found, the appropriate authority will reject the blocks.' In other words, the contractor is leaving the question of quality to post-construction testing.
BWDB Executive Engineer Hannan Prodhan, however, said: 'If the sand's FM value is not right, it will not be allowed for block construction. An investigation will be carried out and action taken.' The question now is whether work will continue with the disputed sand until the investigation reports.
Erosion of the Payra is an annual terror for the people of Amtoli, and this project worth hundreds of crores exists precisely to stop it. Riverbank residents are now watching for the outcome of the investigation into the sand-quality allegations and the BWDB's next steps.
