No negative impact from soil removal under Padma Rail Bridge: Minister

Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has said the removal of soil from beneath the pillars of the Padma Rail Bridge will have no negative impact; rather, it will bring positive results.

The minister made the remarks around 10am today (2 July) while inspecting the ongoing demobilisation work under the viaduct of the Padma Rail Bridge in the Aliganj area of Narayanganj Sadar upazila.

He said the soil that had been temporarily filled under the viaduct to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery during construction was now being removed in line with the project design and contract.

The removal of soil beneath the viaduct will not pose any risk to the railway line or the structure, the minister said, adding that the work is being carried out in the interests of project safety, the restoration of the natural environment, and future planning.

"Work on 14.4 kilometres out of a total of 16.76 kilometres has already been completed. Soil will be removed from the remaining 2.34-kilometre area at an average depth of three and a half feet," the minister said.

This will pose no risk to the viaduct or the railway line. Rather, the work is necessary to restore natural water flow and environmental balance," he added.

"The entire structure is engineering-wise safe, and the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Railway are carrying out the work according to the plan in the interest of the country," Rabiul added.