The Chittagong-Cox's Bazar railway project has suffered extensive damage due to waterlogging and flooding triggered by torrential rain for the last few days.
The railway line is broken in many places and the water is flowing under it. Soil and stones have moved, railway lines have been broken.
However, the extent of the damage could be assessed once flood water recedes, said officials related to the project.
Meanwhile, the local residents claim that the flood situation in South Chittagong has become dire due to the railway project. Railway Project Director said, three kilometers of the railway line between Dohazari to Cox's Bazar have been submerged in this terrible flood. 1.5 km railway line has been damaged due to landslides.
In Satkania part, the railway line has been damaged more by the hill slide coming from Bandarban. In these places, stones and soil have moved away from the railway line. In many places of the railway line, due to non-welding of clips at the junction of the two ends, the railway line has been bent by the flood water. It will take about 1 month to complete the repair work.
Railway construction work up to Chattogram-Cox's Bazar-Ghumdhum is one of the 10 mega projects of the government with the aim of priority and quick implementation. The railway is being built to connect with the international rail network Trans Asian Railway (TAR). In 1890, during the British period, the first plan was taken to build this railway. At present the project is railway line from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar.
Local residents claim that the flood situation in South Chattogram has become dire due to the railway line under construction. Dohajari to Cox’s Bazar part the railway project was not properly verified. At present, if the concerned authorities proceed without thinking about this project, the people of the south will see such floods again in the future. Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar Railway Project Director Mofizur Rahman said, "Due to continuous rains and landslides, severe floods have occurred in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar." The railway line has been severely damaged. But what kind of damage has been done will be known after a few days. Both east and west water level of railway line is same. If the water went down upstream, we could have been blamed, but it wasn't. There are 200 culverts and bridges on the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway line so that there is no water blockage.
Of the 100 km railway line between Dohazari-Cox's Bazar, 90 km rail line has been laid so far. The work on the remaining part will begin once the flood waters recede. The implementation of the project is 87 percent complete. The highest level of damage was caused to the railway line near Keranirhat in Satkania by the torrential rains in Bandarban. In this, the soil and stones have been moved by the flow of water. In some parts, the railway line has fallen. He mentioned that the project may be delayed due to this loss.
He said that preparations are being made to run the train by completing the work of the railway line by next September or October. Railway line could not be worked due to flood. Now the water is decreasing. Areas where there are problems will be renovated.
The work on the affected area can be completed within a month. After completing the work on the damaged part, we can inaugurate the train
movement in Cox's Bazar within a certain time.
Under this project, the construction of the iconic building in Cox's Bazar is almost at the final stage. Construction of remaining 8 station buildings (Dohazari, Satkania, Lohagara, Harbang, Chakaria, Dulahajara, Islamabad, Ramu) is also in final stage. Also 39 major bridges, 287 minor bridge-culverts, 96 label crossings of various categories and an underpass, overpass for elephant movement and thermal imaging camera technology have been introduced.
Its known that the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway project is being implemented. On April 3, 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the construction of meter gauge railways up to Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar and Ramu-Ghumdhum. Among them, there are 88 km from Chattogram's Dohazari to Ramu and 12 km from Ramu to Cox's Bazar.
The construction of dual gauge and single track railway project started in 2018, almost seven years after the inauguration by the Prime Minister. Construction of 100 km railway line from Chattogram's Dohazari to Cox's Bazar Ramu was initially estimated at Tk 1,852 crore. In 2016, after revising the project proposal, the cost increased to 18 thousand 34 crore 47 lakh taka. Financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of Bangladesh.
