CHAPTER 7: HYDRO-GEOLOGY OF THE REGION

7.1 Introduction
Water is a finite and irreplaceable resource but core of sustainable development. Water is
central to the production and preservation of a host of benefits and services for people. Water
is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the
climate system, human society and the environment. Therefore, it could be said that water is
fundamental to human well-being (UN, 2015).

The objective of hydro-geology study for this project was to assess water quality through
measuring various poisonous elements like Arsenic, Iron, Chloride, Magnesium, Sulfates etc.
and recharge of deep groundwater level. This study has also tried to identify the groundwater
aquifer, potential area of groundwater recharge, areas potential for drawing fresh water with
required quantity.

7.2 Methodology
To explore the hydro-geological scenario, this study has applied both theoretical analysis and
laboratory investigation. Side by side a groundwater flow model has been developed using
MODFLOW to simulate groundwater flow at various depths. The model has been calibrated
using long term hydraulic head (2005-2013) data at 7 locations at shallow depth (<50 m), and
1 year of head data at 7 locations at deeper depth (>280m).

The regional hydro-geological scenario has been drawn by the following methodology:

• Aquifer characterization: The first step of this hydrogeological study was to identify
the aquifers and characterize groundwater flow system. To learn the aquifer
characteristics piezometer was installed in selected site of the patharghata upazila,
tested aquifer pump, conducted geophysical investigation through vertical electrical
sounding and estimated aquifer flow properties.
• Estimation of groundwater recharge potential: Groundwater recharge could be
explained as the process where water moves downward from surface water to
groundwater. The amount of water that may be extracted from an aquifer without
causing depletion is primarily depends upon the groundwater recharge. Rainfall is the
principal sources for groundwater recharge most importantly for shallow aquifer.
Estimating the rate of aquifer replenishment is probably the most difficult of all
measures in the evaluation of groundwater resources. There are a number of methods
or techniques for estimating groundwater recharge. In this research, Chaturvedi
formula has been used for groundwater recharge estimation.
• Groundwater quality assessment: groundwater has been collected from different
location of three different depth intervals, the depth was 100, 300 and 1000 feet
respectively. Sample has been collected in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season.
Groundwater levels at the monitoring wells were measured using an electronic
groundwater level meter. Sampling site geo-positions were fixed by using hand held
GPS equipment. Afterwards the wells were pumped and water samples were collected
for onsite field measurements and laboratory analysis. Number of important on-site

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 physical parameters were measured in the field these parameters include pH,
Electrical conductivity (EC), Eh, temperature and Arsenic.

After field work collected water samples has been transported to the Geochemistry
Laboratory and preserved in refrigerator for avoiding any chemical changes. Presence
of chemical constituents such as calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium,
Bicarbonate, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate, Iron, and Manganese has been measured by
applying relevant methods. Laboratory test is important to comprehend the quality
and suitability of groundwater for drinking purpose.

• Groundwater level monitoring: After the successful development of the monitoring

wells groundwater level at the monitoring wells has been measured using an
electronic groundwater level meter. A total of Twelve (12) months of groundwater
level fluctuations data has been collected.
• Estimation of current groundwater abstraction: Data on groundwater abstraction is
essential for development of groundwater model that will be used for various scenario
analyses. However, it is well known that groundwater in the entire study area is used
only for domestic purposes; irrigation in the study area is mainly based on surface
water. Therefore, the groundwater abstraction has been calculated in this study based
on population, assuming per capita groundwater consumption is 50 litres per day.
• Groundwater model development and sustainability analysis: A MODFLOW
based 3-D groundwater flow model was developed to characterize the current
groundwater flow system, and analysis of the effect of future development in the
study area.

7.3 Subsurface Geology Assessment

Subsurface geology is the study of the physical properties and location of rock and soil found
below the ground surface. One of the most valuable reasons for learning about the subsurface
is understanding the materials below man-made structures.

Groundwater in the study area occurs in porous deltaic sediments. Our geophysical
investigation and borehole data suggest that the aquifer system in this area is highly
heterogeneous. Individual layers of sands and clays cannot be traced over vast distances.
However, depending on the relative sandiness and clayeyness the aquifer system down to a
depth of 300 m can be subdivided in to three depth zones. The shallowest depth zone extends
around 70 m on average. The intermediate zone is the thickest and lies between 70 m and 250
m. The deepest zone lies below 250 m. It is very difficult to pin point the exact depth
intervals of these various zone everywhere in the study area based on sparse point data.
Therefore, these reported depths should be considered as average and in particular area exact
depths of these three zones may vary considerably.

The shallow aquifer is hydraulically very dynamic and is well connected with the surface
water bodies. Most of the groundwater recharge and discharge occurs through this aquifer.
Model suggests that the shallow aquifer receives less than 300 mm recharge annually from
rainfall. As the groundwater level during the rainy season remain close to the surface, the

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direction of groundwater flow typically, follow the topography like - groundwater flows from
topographic high to topographic low. During this time the direction of groundwater flow is
towards the river or sea. Conversely during the dry season, when groundwater level start to
decline due to high abstraction of groundwater for domestic, industrial purpose and by
evapotranspiration, groundwater from the surrounding areas flow towards the pumping
section in all over the study area. The intermediate aquifer seems to have some connection
with the shallow aquifer as the water quality of this aquifer resembles that of the shallow
aquifer. With some exception, the deep aquifer seems to be completely isolated hydraulically
from the overlying aquifers. Its hydraulic behaviour as well as the quality of water differs
completely from that of the overlying aquifers. The deep aquifer is likely not getting any
vertical local recharge through the overlying aquifers. This deep aquifer seems to be
connected to the regional aquifer system and may get recharged further upland.

Source: PKCP,2020

Figure 7-1: Selected lines through the corresponding VES points with respect to their
position for lithological cross section
Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) data were converted to standard lithology. Using these
data, lithological cross sections such as E-E’, F-F’, G-G’, H-H’, I-I’ and J-J’ are drawn to
observe the vertical and lateral variation of the subsurface geology in the study area. The
cross sections are described below:

Patharghata Upazila: First clay layer beneath the top soil is continuous in central part along
the cross section. Cross section shows abrupt change in the underlying lithology both laterally
and vertically. Distribution of underlying sediments especially clay layers change throughout
the section. Thus, any uniform trend of thickness is difficult to establish. Subsurface lithology
is dominated by sand grains particularly fine-grained sand. A thick deposition of clayey silt

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spotted at 130 m depth at southern part which is coexisted with clay layer in Patharghata
Upazila. Underlying lithology is dominated by fine grained sand at 200m depth with a
continuous and even distribution.

Barguna Sadar Upazila: Surface is covered by 1-1.5m thin soil layer along the cross
section. A uniformly thick clay layer with 10-12 m thickness is found below the top soil layer
of Barguna Sadar Upazila which is discontinuous in the middle portion of the cross section.
Such uneven distribution is also found for other underlying layers. Subsurface sand
dominated lithology shows great variation in the sand grain sizes. It displays fine and course
grained sand at southern part and medium and fine grained sand at northern part. A major
facies change occurs near Payra River, a thick clay layer exists below this sand. Alternating
sand and clay layers occur in the subsurface. Inter bedded clay layers are non-continuous and
indicate frequent changes in the depositional environment.

Amtali and Taltali Upazila: Underlying lithology is predominantly composed of alternating

sand and clay layers with varying thickness. Top soil remains throughout the area. Clay layer
below top soil unit is almost 20 m thick in the south-west part. The layer is discontinuous at
several places and shows no uniformity in thickness variation. Such uneven distribution is
also found for other underlying layers. However, there is a fine-grained sandy soil layer
between top soil and clay layer in Taltali area, which is absent in Amtali area. Amtali is
dominated by medium grained sand and Taltali is dominated by fine grained sand.

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Kalapara Upazila: Top soil remains throughout the area. At southern part of the Upazila,
textural change occurs to the lithology and establish a thick silty clay unit. Distribution of
underlying sediments especially clay layers frequently changes throughout the section.
Almost 80m thick clay layer is found below 100m depth in the middle portion of Kalapara
Upazila. Alternating sand and clay layers occur in the subsurface. Cross section shows abrupt
change in the underlying lithology both laterally and vertically. Subsurface lithology is
dominated by sand grains particularly fine-grained sand. A thickness of about 60m coarse
grained sand is present at 240m depth in the northern part only.

Galachipa Upazila: A 5-10m thick clayey silt layer is underlying the top soil and almost
continuous and uniformly distributed at Galachipa Upazila. Top soil and clay layer are absent
over a large area where Galachipa River flows dividing Galachipa and Rangabali Upazila.
Subsurface lithology is dominated by sand grains especially medium grained sand. A thick
layer of fine grained sand is found below 15m depth. Coarse-grained sand observed more
than 100-120 m depth at the southern part. A continuous non-uniform clay layer is found
under 160m [Link] of the clay layers varies from 10 to 40 meters in the cross
section.

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Rangabali Upazila: Top soil is not available throughout the whole area. It is available only
in the northern part of the Upazila. Underlying sediments are dominated by fine grained sand
layer throughout the Rangabali Upazila. A continuous non-uniform clay layer has been found
under 180m depth. Clayey silt layer, Coarse grained sand layer and medium grained sand
layer is absent in this area.

7.4 Groundwater Quality Assessment

Safe and easily accessible water is one of the basic needs for human and an essential step for
improving life standards. Universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking
water is also one of the main targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) (target 6.1).
Safe drinking water is a prior to prevent and control waterborne diseases. That’s why,
assessment of groundwater quality has been given a special emphasis in this research.

To assess the quality of ground water of the study area and determine its suitability or
drinking purpose a comparison has been made between the results of collected water quality
sample with World Health Organization (WHO, 2008) and Department of Environment,
Government Republic of Bangladesh (DoE, 1997).

Table 7-1 shows that, concentration of the major anions and cations in most of the samples
remain within the acceptable limit recommended by WHO and DoE except sodium and
chloride. Groundwater samples of the study area show the presence of very high
concentration of sodium and chloride. In some places nitrate and potassium also found in
higher concentrations.

Concentration of Na ion in almost 90% sample exceed the WHO and DoE standard (1997)
recommended limit of 200 mg/L. Increased dietary sodium ingestion can contributes to the
risk of hypertension, congenial heart diseases and kidney problems. In case of chloride
concentrations mostly in shallow and intermediate well show higher value, where almost
90% sample exceed the recommended limit of WHO and DoE. On the other hand, deep well
samples show low concentration and only 6% samples exceed the limit.

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Table 7-1: Comparison of the concentration of different water quality parameters with WHO
standards (2011) and BDWS (DoE, 1997)
Parameters WHO BDWS No of Samples exceeds No of Sample exceeds
Standards (DoE, WHO limits BDWS limits
(2011) 1997) STW ITW DTW STW ITW DTW
(out 0f (out of (out (out (out of (out
11) 9) of 50) of 11) 9) of 50)
pH 6.5-8.5 6.5-8.5 None None None None None None
Na+ 200 200 9 9 45 9 9 45
K+ - 12 - - - 9 4 3
Anions Cations
Minor & Major Major

Ca 2+ 75 75 3 2 2 3 2 2
Mg+ 35 30-50 7 5 5 5 5 5
Cl- 200 150-600 10 9 10 9 9 5
SO42 250 400 None None None None None None
NO3- 50 10 None None None 5 9 14
Fe2+ 0.3-3 0.3-1 None None None 6 3 5
Constituen

Mn2 .01 0.5 3 None 4 3 2 4

Trance

As .01 0.05 None None None None None None

ts

7.4.1 Electric Conductivity (EC)

Based on amount of EC in groundwater some authors divided water quality in 3 groups
(Deshpande and Aher, 2011). The classification is shown in following Table 7-2.

Table 7-2: Classification of groundwater based on EC (Deshpande S.M. and Aher K.R.,
2011) and comparison with samples

EC (µS/cm) No of Sample Classification

Shallow Intermediate Deep

<1500 2 4 40 Permissible

1500-3000 3 1 9 Not Permissible

>3000 5 4 1 Hazardous

The table shows shallow well sample has very high EC and 70% sample is above permissible
limit. 50% intermediate well also exceed safety limit. Deep wells contain lot safer water than
shallow and intermediate wells and more than 60% remain within safety limit.

Around 10% sample in shallow well and 7% sample in deep well exceed recommended limit
for calcium and magnesium. In case of potassium, 82% shallow, 36% intermediate and 6%
deep groundwater samples exceeding standard limit.

None of the sample exceed acceptable value of nitrate prescribe by WHO but 45% shallow
and 20% of deep well exceed DoE prescribed value.

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Around 30% shallow well and 5% deep well exceeds the standard value of Fe and Mn given
by WHO DoE. The study area is free from sulphate and arsenic contamination and all of the
samples show concentration within standard value.

7.4.2 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

EC values can give an indication about TDS in water. TDS can be calculated from EC value
by using following formula (Hem, 1970).
TDS= EC×A
Where, ‘A’ is a conversion factor. For most ground water ‘A’ is between 0.55 and 0.75
(usually 0.66). EC is expressed in μS/cm and TDS is expressed as mg/L.

Table 7-3: TDS classification of drinking water (Freeze & Cherry, 1979) and comparison
with samples
TDS (mg/l) No of Sample Types of Water
Shallow Intermediate Deep
<1000 1 2 40 Fresh
1001-10000 5 4 10 Brackish
10001-100000 2 2 None Saline
>100000 None None None Brine

Table 7-3 shows that 80% sample from deep well is fresh and others fall in brackish
category. But sample from shallow and intermediate mostly brackish and even some samples
fall in saline category.

7.4.3 Total Hardness

Hardness is normally expressed as the total con centration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ as mg/l
equivalent CaCO3. It can be calculated by using following equation (Freeze and Cherry,
1979)

Total Hardness = 2.5(Ca2+) + 4.1(Mg2+)

Here, hardness is expressed as mg/l.

According to classification samples from shallow and intermediate wells are hard to very
hard. In deep well 60 % samples are soft and others are hard to very hard.

Table 7-4: Hardness classification of drinking water and comparison with samples

Harness (mg/l) No of Sample Types of Water

After Sawyer & Shallow Intermediate Deep
McCarty)
<75 2 None 43 Soft
75-150 None None 1 Moderately Hard
150-300 4 4 2 Hard
>300 5 5 4 Very Hard

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7.5 Water Quality Index
Water quality index (WQI) is a method of summarizing a vast amount of complex water
quality data by using a numerical expression to define a certain level of quality indicator
(Miller et al., 1986). It is an important parameter to determine the quality and suitability of
groundwater for drinking purpose (Tiwari and Mishra, 1985). Horton (1965) proposed the
first WQI.

Basically, WQI calculate an index value for each water quality parameters by using a
mathematical equation to express the overall quality of water at a certain location and time
(Yongera and Puttaiah, 2008).

There are a number of methods for calculating WQI, in which weighted arithmetic index
method is one of the most widely used methods. In this method water quality is classified
according to the degree of purity by using the most commonly measured water quality
parameters (Brown, 1972). In this study for calculating WQI of water samples 13 parameters
are taken into consideration which areNa⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO3⁻, Cl⁻, SO4⁻, NO3⁻, Fe, Mn
(all in mg/l), EC, pH and TDS. Standards of drinking water quality standards for Bangladesh
were used to calculate WQI (DoE, 1997). Equation for calculating WQI is

WQI = ΣWiQi /ΣWi

Where, Wi = Relative weight of ith parameter, Qi = Quality rating of ith parameter

Firstly, to calculate relative weight each of the 13 parameters have been assigned with a
weight (wi) according to its relative importance in the overall quality of water for drinking
purpose such as parameters having health effects are assigned 4, those which are responsible
for decreasing the physical characteristics of water and have slight effects on quality are
assigned 3 and parameters with less effects are assigned 2.

Now, Wi can be calculated by using following equation

Wi= wi /Σw,I,

Here, wi = Weight of each parameter. The calculated relative weight (Wi) values of each
parameter are shown in Table 7-5.

Table 7-5: Relative weight of the parameter for calculating WQI

Parameter BD Standard (Si) Weight (wi) Relative Weight

(Wi)
Na+ 200 4 0.1
K+ 12 2 0.05
Ca2+ 75 3 0.075
Mg2+ 35 2 0.05
HCO3¯ 200 3 0.075
Cl¯ 600 4 0.1
SO4¯ 400 3 0.075
NO3¯ 10 4 0.1

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Fe 1 3 0.075
Mn 0.1 3 0.075
pH 8.5 2 0.05
TDS 1000 3 0.075
EC 1000 4 0.1
wi=40 Wi=1

Equation for calculating Qi is –

Qi = (Ci/Si) *100

Here, Ci = estimated Concentration of i th parameter in analysed water sample measured in

mg/l (except pH), Si = Recommended standard value for Ith parameter (according to
Bangladesh Standard). By summing the WiQi value for each parameter within a sample, value
of WQI of that sample can be obtained. After computing WQI, values are classified into five
categories according to Vasanthavigar (2009) in Table 7-6. 60% samples from deep aquifer
show excellent quality and 32% samples show good quality and only 2 samples from pre-
monsoon and 1 sample from post-monsoon season show very poor quality. But in the case of
sample from shallow and intermediate aquifer, most of them are not very good in quality.
Around 50% samples from pre monsoon have good quality but others are not suitable for
drinking. On the other hand, in post monsoon 85% sample show good quality. Following
figures show that, deep well samples has lower WQI value than shallow and intermediate
wells and contain fresh water. WQI range in deep well is low in almost throughout the area.
In shallow and intermediate aquifer most of the area have high WQI value and indicate poor
quality water. In these aquifers lowest value found in northern part and gradually increases
towards northwestern and southern part.
Figure 7-2, Figure 7-3, and

Figure 7-4 illustrating the water quality of three aquifer. Deep well samples show lower WQI
value than shallow and intermediate wells and contain fresh water. WQI range in deep well is
low in almost throughout the area. In shallow and intermediate aquifer most of the area have
high WQI value and indicate poor quality water. In these aquifers lowest value found in
northern part and gradually increases towards northwestern and southern part. The study also
elplored that in both season northern parts indicate highest quality of water and in north-
western and southern part water quality decreases.
Table 7-6: WQI classification (Vasanthavigar, 2009)

WQI (Range) Water Quality

< 50 Excellent
50-100 Good
100-200 Poor
200-300 Very poor
> 300 Water unfit for drinking

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Figure 7-2: Water Quality Index of shallow aquifer Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020

Source: PKCP,2020

Figure 7-3: Water Quality Index of Intermediate aquifer

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 Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020

Figure 7-4: Water Quality Index of deep aquifer

7.6 Groundwater Flow properties of the Aquifer -Slug test

Hydraulic conductivity (K) is the ability of sediment to transmit water through a unit width of
aquifer under a unit hydraulic gradient (Fetter, 2014). In general, hydraulic conductivity
varies with particle sizes; finer particles exhibit lower values of hydraulic conductivity
whereas coarser particles exhibit higher values. A slug test is a particular type of aquifer test
where water is quickly added or removed from a groundwater well, and the change in
hydraulic head is monitored through time, to determine the near-well aquifer characteristics.
Hydraulic conductivity values measured by the empirical equation (Hazen, 1911) ranges
between 3.51 and 8.53 and 5.26 and 12.79 m/day for C=80 and C=120 (the constant in the
Hazen formula) respectively (Table 7-7). The average of all grain size derived hydraulic
conductivity is about 6.95 m/day. This is similar to the average hydraulic conductivity value
of 3.41 m/day determined by slug test at various locations. Though the ranges of hydraulic
conductivity value are narrow, there are some variations in hydraulic conductivity in both
vertical and lateral directions. Highest hydraulic conductivity is found by grain size analysis
in Amtoli, Taltoli and Rangabali upazila.

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Table 7-7: Summary of hydraulic conductivity from grain size analysis

Depth Zone No. of Samples Hydraulic conductivity [m/d]

Maximum Minimum Mean
Shallow 21 6.6 0.09 2.26
Intermediate 35 13.5 0.16 3.5
Deep 35 28.6 0.1 10.4

Hydraulic conductivity measured from slug test data at eighty-five locations in the study area.
Hydraulic conductivity measured from slug test data varies from 0.31 to 8.46 m/day.
Hydraulic conductivity is low in Kalapara upazila which is in the south-central part of study
area and some parts of Galachipa upazila. Rangabali and Barguna Sadar upazila shows the
highest hydraulic conductivity ranges from 5.5 to 8.5 m/day. Rest parts of the study area
shows hydraulic conductivity ranges from 1 to 5.5 m/day (Figure 7-5).

Source: PKCP,2020

Figure 7-5: Hydraulic conductivity in the study area both from grain size analysis and slug
test data

7.7 Groundwater level in Dry season

Groundwater level in the study area is controlled by a number of factors including rapid
recharge during the rainy reason, natural discharge along the periphery of the aquifer,
evapotranspiration and finally by groundwater pumping for domestic purposes.
Groundwater level data in the study area represents an interesting hydrogeological
characteristic of the aquifer system. The highest groundwater level very close to the ground
surface of about 1.1 m during the rainy season and the lowest groundwater level is at 2.6 m
from the ground surface during the dry period. During the rainy season groundwater level
remains close to the ground surface and after that the level start to decline spontaneously as a
result of discharge along periphery, evapotranspiration and pumping for domestic and
industrial purposes and again during the rainy season the groundwater level Strat to rise back

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close to the surface. During rainy season the direction of groundwater flow is towards the
river or sea. Conversely during the dry season, when groundwater level start to decline due to
high abstraction of groundwater for domestic, industrial purpose and by evapotranspiration,
groundwater from the surrounding areas flow towards the pumping section in all over the
study area.
Among the three aquifer zones, the deep aquifer exhibits the least variation in groundwater
level with time. Except in Galachipa, the differences between the dry and wet season depth to
water vary between 0.4 and 0.8 m. In Galachipa groundwater in deep well fluctuated about
1.5 m within the same time period. The least seasonal variability is found in the Amtali well.
With the exception of Amtali, the seasonal fluctuations in both shallow and intermediate
depth zones seem to be higher than the deep zone. Except Taltali, groundwater level in the
shallow and intermediate depth zone also seem to be similar in magnitude and variation.
To analyse suitable areas to get quality water with sufficient quantity dry season water table
(Figure 7-6) has been considered as an indicator because it is hard to get sufficient amount of
water in dry season.

Figure 7-6: Dry season water table depth (in meter) Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020

7.8 Potential areas for recharge and groundwater withdrawal

Groundwater recharge was estimated by Chaturvedi (1973) formula which was potential
recharge (Figure 6-9). Potential recharge is too much greater than the actual recharge. Model
simulated actual recharge was estimated by subtracting drained water from recharged water.
Model simulated actual recharge value ranges from 0 to ~1500 mm/year. Actual recharge is
the lowest along the model boundary and the river where constant head (CHD) was assigned.

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Along the side of the river recharge rate are higher and it is highest at very close to the river,
this is because rainwater infiltrating at river banks can quickly flow out to the river. Recharge
gradually decreases away from the river. Actual recharge is comparatively higher at the
southeast and southwestern part of the study area than the northeast and northwestern part. In
most part of the study area, actual recharge ranges from 0 to 300 mm/year (Figure 7-7). This
spatial recharge map is off course would be affected by the permeability variation of the top
soil.

Source: PKCP,2020

Figure 7-7: Map showing the model simulated actual recharge in the study area in 2019

7.9 Ranking sites with Suitability Analysis

Suitability Analysis has been applied to rank or score sites based on multiple weighted
criteria. After selecting criteria, based on importance for development weights has been
assigned to them. To find suitable sites based on hydrological characteristics, suitability
analysis has been run on 250x250 m grids of the project area. So, this analysis has been run
with vector data but in raster form.
Weighted site selection method has been applied to rank cells and assign a relative
importance value to each layer. The result is a suitability surface which ranks potential sites
from 1 to 5. Sites with a value of 1 are least suitable and those with a value of 5 are most
suitable. Weighted site selection is an important site selection method because it includes
options for viewing next-best sites (those with a value of 4) should the ideal sites to work.
Suitable sites based on hydrological attributes has been judged based on the availability of
quality water for human use. Information has been gathered from field activity and secondary
source- mainly BWDB. To rank the water quality, WQI has been taken into account and to

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rank the availability of fresh water findings from slug test and water head depth in dry season
has been considered. Next step was to reclassify each attribute.

Figure 7-8: Method of suitability analysis

The attributes have been reclassified to simplify the interpretation of data by changing a
single input value into a new output value. For this analysis reclassification has been done to
group ranges of cell values into a single value. This simplifies weighted site selection because
different types of raster data will have different values based on what they show (ESRI). By
applying reclassification different values has been bring under same ranking scheme that can
be used to compare and rank the least and most suitable sites.
Weighting layers is another important step in weighted site selection because it allows the
decision maker to place varying levels of importance on different factors such as water
quality of deep aquifer. Weights has been determined by a panel of experts on the subject
being tested and they are based on specific criteria for the analysis.
Table 7-8: Reclassification of indicators attributes
Criterions Indicators Attributes Reclassifications
Quality Shallow, WQI < 50 1
intermediate and WQI 50-100 2
deep aquifer WQI 100-200 3
WQI 200-300 4
WQI > 300 5
Slug test 0-1 K m/day 1
1-2 K m/day 2
2-4 K m/day 3
4-6 K m/day 4
Quantity 6-7.30 K m/day 5
Grain size test 3-5 K m/day 1
5-7 K m/day 2
7-9 K m/day 3
9-10 K m/day 4
10-12 K m/day 5
0.75-1 m 5
Water table depth in dry 1-1.5 m 4
season 1.5-2 m 3
2-2.5 m 2
2.5-3 m 1

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 Table 7-9: Weighting of indicators

Indicators Weights Relative weights

Shallow aquifer 1 0.05
Intermediate aquifer 3 0.17
deep aquifer 5 0.29
Slug test findings 5 0.29
Dry season water table 3 0.17
depth
Total =17 =1

Figure 7-9 illustrating the findings of suitability analysis. It is found that 109.75 [Link] area
of the region is less suitable for activity where availability of quality water is required. In
total 1883.43 sq. km area is moderately suitable and [Link] area is suitable where it is
possible to get quality water even in dry season. Within the region, no completely less
suitable and highly suitable area have been found. This is because, in some part of the region
water is available but the quality of water is poor and most of the sample’s shallow aquifer’s
water quality found very poor or unfit to drink. Deep aquifer contains quality water in the
region.
In general, the deep aquifer zone contains potable groundwater in the study area with the
exception of Patharghata. Our analysis of groundwater quality index suggests that 92%
samples from deep aquifer have excellent to good drinking water quality. Total 8% samples
from pre-monsoon and 1 sample from post-monsoon season show very poor but drinkable
quality. The exceptional well is located in Patharghata. The deep groundwater is not only
fresh; it is also free from other contaminant such as arsenic, iron, nitrate, and manganese. The
deep groundwater is also mostly soft in nature.
In contrast to the deep aquifer water quality of both the shallow and intermediate depth zone
are mostly undrinkable. This is largely because of high salinity. However, previous study
(Agarwal et al., 2001) suggests that the salinity probably resulted from connate water
entrapped during the deposition of the sediments in shallow marine condition. There are some
pocket areas in both the shallow and intermediate aquifer depth zones that contain drinkable
groundwater. However, identification of these freshwater pockets is really challenging and
requires detail geophysical survey over the entire area.

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 Source: PKCP Project, UDD,
Figure 7-9: Hydro-geologically suitable areas within the region 2020

In the region no sites have been found with score 5 which means highly suitable and 1 which
means completely less suitable considering the hydrological attributes.

7.10 Effect of Climate Change:

The coastal zone of Bangladesh supports over 40 million people with resources like fisheries,
shrimp farms, and tourism. However, the region faces several natural and anthropogenic
hazards like flooding, soil salinity, and pollution, and is now further threatened by climate
change. Rising sea levels due to thermal expansion and land-based ice loss can lead to
saltwater intrusion, which can affect the quality and potability of groundwater and surface
water, as well as crop yields. There are three primary paths of salinization in the coastal
aquifer: (a) classical lateral seawater intrusion within the aquifer, with the Bay of Bengal as
the saltwater source, caused by a rising sea level or falling inland groundwater levels; (b)
vertical downward seawater intrusion from saline surface water carried inland by repeated
storm saltwater surges and by possible future transgression of the coast; and (c) migrating
preexisting pockets of subsurface saline water from vertical intrusion, lateral intrusion, or
relic seawater that was deposited with the aquifer sediment. Pumping in the coastal zone is
also an important determinant of salinization rate. Climate change-driven sea-level rise can
exacerbate these issues and reduce the lifetime of the fresh groundwater resource in the
current coastal zone.

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7.11 Water budget
The decisions based on observations are given below:

• There is no fresh vertical recharge to the deep aquifer. This is supported by the fact
that the overlying shallow aquifer contains brackish water. There may be very little
flow of salty water from shallow depth through the overlying aquitards.
• The deep aquifer recharges hundreds of kilometres away from the coastal area.
• The average annual groundwater flow across an E-W boundary into the deep aquifer
through regional flow system can be approximated using Darcy’s Law. We assume
that the amount enters the aquifer from the north is also flows to the Bay of Bengal
through the southern shoreline.
• The total groundwater abstraction from deep aquifer within the study area is balanced
by the small flow of salty water from the overlying shallow aquifer to deep aquifer
and from aquifer storage resulting in annual declination of groundwater level in the
deep aquifer.
• The observed groundwater level data indicate that the groundwater level in the deep
aquifer in all upazila decline annually by 0.3 to 0.5 m.
• The groundwater model was calibrated using aquifer specific storage value of 1x10-4.
The volume of water annually coming from the aquifer storage can be calculated by
the following formula:-
• V=dh×A×Ss×b, where, dh = average head drop/year, A= area of the aquifer, and S=
specific storage and b = thickness of the aquifer.
• Therefore,V=0.3×3300 〖km〗^2×1.0E-4×100 = 10 million m3/year.
• Given the very gentle hydraulic gradient, the volume of water flow through the aquifer
is likely to be very small. It is calculated to be 1 million m3/year.
• Groundwater in the study area is exclusively used for drinking purpose. Therefore,
total annual abstraction in the study area can be calculated using an average per capita
use of water and total population. Total population in the study area is about 1.2
million. Considering water consumption of 50 litre/person/day, total annual
groundwater withdrawal is about 23 million m3/year.
• If we assume that the regional flow in and out of the aquifer is equal, then the
difference of 13 million m3/y between the abstraction (23 Mm3/y) and water from
storage (10 Mm3/y) must be added to the aquifer via vertical flow from overlying
brackish water aquifer at shallow depth.
• Considering the total area of the aquifer, the required vertical flow from shallow to
deep aquifer is approximately 4 mm/year. Although this is very low, continuous flow
of salty water into the deep aquifer will continuously increase the salinity in the deep
aquifer.
• Moreover, there is already annual groundwater level declination in the order of 0.3 to
0.5 m/year. If more water is withdrawn from the aquifer, that either comes from
aquifer storage leading to more declination of the groundwater level in the deep
aquifer or from more vertical flow of salty water from shallow depth to the deep
aquifer, accelerating the salinization of the deep aquifer.

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7.12 Policy Recommendations:
As a coastal region various natural disaster as well as various anthropogenic activities are
deteriorating the water quality at shallow aquifer and heavy pumping for industrial and
domestic purposes decreasing the aquifer sustainability. As the population increasing day by
day, water demand is also increasing very obviously.
▪The only economically reasonable alternative of groundwater is rainwater. The most
important advantage of rainwater harvesting is that it has no connection with sanitation
problem and it requires no or minimal treatment for drinking. If peoples of the study area
get interested about the rainwater harvesting and do it spontaneously then it will largely
decrease the groundwater abstraction pressure from subsurface water bearing zones.
▪Since, sample from shallow and intermediate mostly brackish, water conservation practices
should be encouraged, such as implementing rainwater harvesting systems to reduce the
demand for water resources. Moreover, water treatment technologies such as desalination
technologies that remove salt from water can be incorporated.
▪In areas with high hydraulic conductivity, water can move rapidly through the soil, which
means there is a risk that chemicals from chemical industry may contaminate the
groundwater. So, it is important to adopt a policy that prohibits the construction of
chemical industries in areas with high hydraulic conductivity.
▪As groundwater levels naturally decline during the dry season following the rainy season, it
is important to prioritize the recharge of groundwater by adopting water conservation
strategies during the rainy season.
▪Rainwater infiltration ponds are an effective solution for managing storm water. These can
reduce the amount of runoff that enters the storm water system, which can prevent
flooding and also play a significant role in recharging groundwater resources.
▪With the exception of Amtali, the seasonal fluctuations in groundwater in both shallow and
intermediate depth zones seem to be higher than the deep zone. So, it is important to
prioritize the study and measurement of seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels
before approving any new construction projects.

To ensure the sustainability of aquifer, water resource management plays vital role. For
proper water resource management, the following aspects should be considered:
▪Improving the efficiency of water supply.
▪Prevent groundwater from anthropogenic contaminant sources.
▪Planning for proper disaster management
▪Raising public awareness and encouraging local community in the water management
process.
▪Recycling water for industrial uses.
▪Improved sanitation system.
▪Continuous monitoring of the study groundwater quality for domestic use.
▪Develop a model to identify the potential zones of saltwater and fresh water interaction.

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 CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPING THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
FOR INTEGRATED URBAN AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
8.1 Introduction
The study area is comprised of seven upazilas of Barguna and Patuakhali districts, having
immense potential for tourism development. Apart from Kuakata, there are numerous tourist
spots in this region. Sonar Char of Rangabali upazila is going to be developed as an exclusive
tourist zone for foreigners. The success of developing the study area as a tourist center largely
depends on good transportation and communication facilities along with the availability of
modern amenities. Moreover, the proposed sea port at Kalapara would generate many port-
related new activities, including huge traffic by air, rail, road and waterways. It would act as a
catalyst for radical change in the overall urbanization pattern of the area. Better transportation
network and facilities are needed for the improvement of connectivity within the region and
with the remaining parts of the country.

The mother objective of the project is to formulate a holistic planning package for promoting
development of tourism, addressing rapid socio-economic and infrastructural development
activities with the establishment of the Payra Port, and optimization of coastal resources
within the study area.
The eco-tourism development and seaport establishment would create both positive and
negative impacts on socio-economic conditions and change the existing land use pattern of
the region. For this, it is necessary to understand the present state of the transportation system
based on which a sustainable transportation system can be built for the future. Therefore, a
thorough traffic study of the existing transportation network is imperative. The objectives of
the traffic survey are two folds. Firstly, it provides idea about the existing traffic demand and
available supply. Secondly, it acts as the input for the travel demand forecasting model that is
to be constructed as the output of the project. To estimate the future traffic demand on the
future road network of Payra-Kuakata, the following surveys have been conducted:

1) Reconnaissance Survey, 2) Household Interview Survey, 3) Passenger Interview Survey,

4) Survey on Growth Centre/ Attraction survey, 5) Traffic Count Survey (including
Motorized Vessel Count), 6) Pedestrian and Vehicle Count at Kuakata Sea Beach, 7) Survey
at Fishing Boat Terminal, 8) Origin-Destination Survey of both motorized vehicle and vessel,
9) Public Transport Interview Survey, 10) Stakeholder Interview Survey and 11) Travel Time
Survey.

8.2 Reconnaissance Survey

Reconnaissance survey is conducted usually to develop a general understanding of the study
area. The reconnaissance survey for this study was conducted in several road intersections,
small/large bazars, waterway ghats/terminals, tourist spots and ongoing development projects
within the study area. The survey result shows that the condition of existing internal roads
such as upazila roads, union roads, village roads are of average standard. During flood, the
roads go under water and become muddy. The ferry condition in Patuakhali and Barguna is
quite poor, 10 ferries have already shutdown a long time ago. There are only three active

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ferries: (i) Lebukhali point on Payra River along with Patuakhali-Barisal road, (ii) Amtali on
the Payra River along Patuakhali-Barguna road and (iii) at Bainchutki along Barguna-
Kakchira road. Most of the major intersections are located along Amtali‐Khepupara‐Kuakata
regional highway (R881) and Patuakhali- Amtali regional highway (R880).There is traffic
congestion around the Kalapara bazar, Khepupara Bridge and its access road.

8.3 Household Interview Survey:

Household interview survey is conducted to understand the daily trip behaviour and socio-
economic condition of the households of the study area. The consultant team conducted this
survey in 54 zones and surveyed total 2160 number of households throughout the study area,
having at least 40 samples from each zone. The households of the study area generates 5.32
trips per day, on an average. Among them, 18% are made for educational purpose; 22% for
work purpose and 6% for shopping purpose. Work trips are low in some areas because of
lack of commercial activities, communication facilities and more agro-based lifestyle. The
survey result shows that home-based trips are the highest in all zones (50%), because
irrespective of which purpose a trip is made, it is always destined to the home. People make
most of the trips by walking which is 65.7% of total trips. These trips are mainly short
distance trips. Again, 12.9% are made by Auto-Rickshaw, 7.7% by Motorbike and 5.8%
Rickshaw-Cycle. People do not use water transport in case of medium or short distance trips
because it consumes more time. Boat service is mainly used for river/ canal crossing. In case
of long distance travel, big and small launches are widely used as it is more comfortable than
bus service. Figure 8-1 illustrating upazilawise trips per household per day.

Figure 8-1: Upazila-wise trips per household per day

The household interview survey results show that, travel cost is lower in the zones where
most of the trips are made by walking and cycling, though their travel time might be higher.
In cases of Dhalua, Kukua, Haldia, Chowra and Chalitabunia; the travel cost is higher
because the inhabitants of these area depend on motorized modes and the travel distance is

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also high. In most of the areas, intra-zonal trips are higher than inter-zonal trips, except for
Badarkhali, Gaurichanna, Phuljhury, Haldia, and Chowra.

Intra-zonal trips (Figure 8-2) are higher in number as most of the zones have facilities
available such as, rural markets, health facilities, educational institutions etc. Again, most of
the areas are separated by river network which restricts the local people’s movement within
the zones. The zones with higher amount of inter-zonal (Figure 8-3) traffic are more
dependent on other zones for their day-to-day activities

As the study area is surrounded by river network and is highly disaster prone, the travel
pattern in rainy season varies from dry season. Travel time increases 5.63 minutes and cost
increases 1.93 taka on an average, in rainy season. The use of bicycle and motorcycle
becomes extensively low in rainy season. On the other hand, the use of boats become high in
areas where crossing of river/ canal is dependent on boats and areas which gounder water.

Source: PKCP,2020

Figure 8-2: Intra-zonal Trip Distribution in the Study Area

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Figure 8-3: Inter-zonal Trip Distribution in the Study Area Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020
8.4 Passenger Interview Survey
Passenger Interview Survey was carried out at different locations in the study area in order to
understand the travel behaviour of passengers crossing the river. The survey result shows that
people mainly use boat service and trawler for short distance travel; especially to cross river
or khal. Big launch and small launch are used for long distance travel. The upazilas which are
fully segregated by water route, such as Patharghata, Amtali and Rangabali, are dependent on
water transport.

8.5 Survey on Growth Centre/ Attraction Survey

Attraction Survey was carried out focusing on the commercial activities within the study area.
For this survey, 27 major growth centers were taken into consideration as they were officially
identified as growth centers by LGED. The growth centers serve mainly the nearest and
surrounding villages and unions. Every growth centre is connected with upazila or union
roads. But the road condition is very poor that it becomes risky for the motorized vehicles to
move on the roads. During the hat days, traffic congestion is noticeable, as there is no parking
facilities available near the growth centres. Table 8-1 briefly describing the traffic congestion
and road condition issues of surveyed growth centers.

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The major modes of travel are motorbike, tomtom, easy bike, auto rickshaw, three wheeler,
mahindra, cycle rickshaw, bicycle, borak, passenger pickup, tempo, bus etc. In the waterway,
trawler, boat and launch are used.

Table 8-1: Overview of different growth centers in the study area

Growth Centre Traffic Congestion Road Condition

Amtali Hat • Congestion occurs during hat
day due to illegal and on street • Road condition is well enough
parking
• Congestion points: Amtali
Chourasta and three rastar mor
• Traffic volume is high on typical • Pavement depleted at many
Ayla Growth hat day and in peak hour points
Centre • On hat days, more than 5000 • Half of these road are kuttcha and
people visit Ayla bazaar becomes muddy during rainy
season
•Unsatisfactory road condition
Babugonj •About 1000-1200 people come •Roads are respectively RCC,
Bazar here daily which increases up Katcha and Brick road
to 2300-2500 in hat day •In rainy season people faces
problems
Badura Bazar •Traffic jam occurs in hat day
•Almost 2000 people come here •Road becomes muddy during
in normal day but in hat day it rainy season
increases to 5000
Bogir Hat • Approximately 2000 people
gather in general day • Road condition is not satisfactory
• 5000 people come during hat
day
Chapli Bazar • Traffic congestion is generally • Road condition of Alipur to
low Chapli is very bad, especially in
• 5000 to 6000 people gather rainy season
during hat day
Chaltatoli • 8 thousand people gather in hat • Road condition is poor, mostly
Bazar day kutcha road
• On street parking leads to traffic • Road goes under water during
congestion monsoon season for tidal flow

• Culvert near the bazar is also

miserable
Charduani • The road condition of the
Bazar • Traffic congestion is in minimal Charduani to Mothbaria is not
level so good
• During rainy season it becomes
worse
Chor Biswas • Generally, no traffic congestion
Hat except the typical hat days • Road condition is not in
• On street parking causes traffic satisfactory level

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 congestion

Galachipa • Due to lack of parking facilities

Bazar traffic congestion occurs • Road condition is poor and
• Almost 2500 people come here narrow
in every day which increases
up to 6000 in the typical hat
day
Gazipur Hat • Daily 1000 people come here, • Connective road condition is
around 10 thousand people in satisfactory
hat day
Kakchira • Traffic congestion occurs in the • The connective road condition is
Bazar bazar area moderately satisfactory
• Around 10000 people come here • During flood, road goes under
during hat day which creates water
congestion
Kalagachiya • Low traffic congestion
Hat • On street parking leads to traffic • Katcha roads become muddy
congestion especially during during rainy season
hat days
Kalapara Hat
• Low congestion except the hat • Road condition is satisfactory
day enough
Kalmegha • Traffic congestion only occurs
Market during hat days due to huge • Road condition is not good and
public gathering problem occurs in rainy season
• Lack of parking facility leads to
the congestion
Lalua Hat • Around 1000 people come here
daily which increases to 5000 • Road condition of this bazar is
people during hat day satisfactory
Lemua Hat • Congestion only in hat days • Road condition satisfactory
enough
• Brick soling inside the market
area causes problems in rainy
season
Mohipur Hat • Traffic congestion noticeable • Condition of internal roads is
only in typical hat days good while connective roads
are not in a good condition
which arise problems in rainy
season
Nali Hat • Traffic congestion is light • The condition of direct road is
moderately good but last 2 km
of the road is not in good
condition. The other road via
Parir khal is not useable for
motorized vehicle. Half of the
roads are kutcha and have brick
soling

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 • Launch ghat is not in satisfactory
condition
Parirkhal • Traffic congestion is noticeable •Condition of main access road is
Market only in typical hat days good
• Lack of parking facility leads to •Connective roads are kutcha, have
congestion brick soling and lots of holes.
Patabunia Hat •On street parking causes
congestion •The road condition near the bazar
•Daily around 1000 people gather is good but little narrow which
here, it increases to 5-6 create traffic congestion
thousands during hat day
Patharghata
Bazar • Around 10 thousand people •Every road is in good condition
gather here during hat days

Phuljhuri •No prominent traffic congestion

Bazar •1200-1500 people come here in •Phuljhuri to Baulkar road is in
normal day but in hat day it very bad condition, in rainy
rises to 5000-6000 season it becomes worse
Taltali Bazar • Always remain crowded
• In hat days around 10 thousand •The road condition of this area is
people gather here satisfactory
Ulania Bazar •Condition of major roads is well
• Congestion in hat day enough
•Connective roads are not in a
good condition (kutcha)
Nomor Hat • Congestion in hat day •Road is in a very bad condition

8.6 Traffic Count Survey

To find out the volume of traffic, both in road and waterways, traffic count survey was
conducted. Traffic vehicle count survey (road) was conducted at 47 selected locations; and
motorized vessel count survey (waterway) was conducted at 16 locations. Survey was
conducted at two typical peaks: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The volume
count survey shows that, volume varies from 805 to 140 vehicles per hour in the highway;
whereas in Zila road it varies from 70 vehicles to 730 vehicles hourly. On the other hand, in
upazila road, vehicle volume varies from 329 to 24 hourly; whereas in union road it is seen
from 214 to 89 vehicles. The survey result also shows that people are highly dependent on
unconventional modes like baby taxi, tempo/ auto rickshaw, motor bike and non-motorized
vehicles, because of lack of bus service, narrow road network and bad road condition.

The vessel count survey shows that, boat (51%) and trawler (31%) are the main water vessels
for movement. The most active terminals/ ghats for both passenger and goods movement
include Patharghata Launch Terminal, Bainchotki Ferry Terminal, Amtali Ferry Ghat, Alipur
Boat Ghat and Galachipa Launch Ghat.

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8.7 Pedestrian and Vehicle Count at Kuakata Sea Beach
In Kuakata Sea beach, pedestrian movement is notable. In the beach area, motorcycle (41%)
and van (35%) are the main mode for short distance movement. For long distance movement,
local people use tempo or auto rickshaw (10%) and sometimes use bi-cycle. Some of the
major problems are: lack of public transport facility for tourists, no footpath for pedestrian,
no parking place for vehicle etc.

8.8 Survey at Fishing Boat Terminal

To plan the terminals or ghats in proper manner, survey has been conducted at Mohipur Hat
and Bablatola Bazar. In Mohipur Hat, during the dry season almost 500 fishing boats are
active throughout the day, which increases to 1000 in the rainy season. In Bablatola bazar
there are about 100 boats in dry season which increases to 200 boats in rainy season. Some of
the problems in fishing boat terminals are: unplanned design, lack of proper dredging, poor
condition of access road, unauthorized shops etc.

8.9 Origin-Destination Survey

Origin-Destination (OD) Surveys were undertaken at the same survey stations as that of the
Traffic Count Surveys. The OD survey shows that, in Barguna upazila, highest trips are
generated from Barguna and attracted to Barguna as it is a municipality (Paurashava) area.
Vehicular trips of Patharghata upazila are mainly distributed in Patharghata union and
Kakchira union, which are two well established unions in this upazila. In Amtali Upazila,
highest trips are distributed to Barisal and Patuakhali, as Amtali is directly connected with
this area by highway. All the vehicular trips in Taltali upazila remain within the upazila,
especially in Chhota Bagi and Karaibaria. Vehicular movement in Kalapara Upazila is very
high at Tiakhali, Mithaganj and Nilganj due to the presence of Payra Sea Port. In Galachipa
Upazila, highest trips are distributed in Galachipa (municipality area), Ratandi Taltali,
Bakulbaria, Char Kajal and Char Biswas. Rangabali being an isolated island, totally
surrounded by river network, and having no other alternative route accept waterway,
generates all the vehicular trips confined within the upazila. Motorized Vessels in this region
are carrying both passenger and different types of goods. Trawler, boat and small launch
carry both passenger and goods where speed boat carries only passenger. On the other hand
big launch and ferry carry only goods such as raw materials for construction, agricultural
products and foods.

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 Source: PKCP,2020

Figure 8-4: Highest Motorized Vehicles Trip Distribution to Different Zones in the Study
Area

Figure 8-5: Water Route and Water Vessel Distribution in the Study Area
Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020

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8.10 Public Transport Interview Survey:

To find out the general information about cargo movement, passenger movement in public
transit both in waterway and road; a Questionnaire Survey was conducted at different bus
terminals, truck terminals, local transit stations and ghats. The major local transports are three
wheeler, motorbike, auto-rickshaw etc. which move on mainly upazila, zila, union and even
regional highway roads (Figure 8-6, Figure 8-7) due to the lack of adequate bus services.
Truck uses only zila and regional highway where bus movement is present on upazila roads.

Figure 8-6: Public Transport Route: Truck, Bus and Three Wheeler

Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020

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Figure 8-7: Public Transport Route: Auto-Rickshaw, Motorbike and Mahindra
Source: PKCP Project, UDD, 2020
8.11 Stakeholder Interview Survey
Some of the important stakeholders that were interviewed: Kuakata Tourist Boat Owners
Cooperatives, Payra Port Authority (PPA), Road Transport and Highways Division (RHD),
LGED (Barguna), UNO of all the upazilas, Bangladesh Railways etc.

Among the seven upazilas, Barguna Sadar, Amtali, Patharghata and Galachipa are directly
connected to Dhaka through launch service. Internal launch service is available between
Galachipa and Rangabali. Other water transport services such as trawler and speed boat are
also available in this region. There are three major ferry crossings at Amtali, Lebukhali, and
Bainchotki. In Barguna Sadar, the old launch ghat and riverside ghats along the prominent
bazars are used as terminal point for goods transportation. Patharghata Boat ghat and
Kakchira cargo ghat are the two terminal points of Patharghata upazila. The main boat ghat in
Kalapara upazila is bazar ghat, mainly used for trawlers. There is a cargo ghat in Kalapara
Paurashava, named as Godown ghat, used for transporting goods. In Amtali, there are
designated cargo terminal points at Badhghat, amtali bazar ghat and launch ghat. However,
the communication through waterways is negligible in Taltali.

Some of the major problems in this region are: lack of public transport, absence of bus
services in many internal routes, lack of parking facilities, road encroachment by illegal
parking etc. In Barguna Sadar upazila, there are only two vehicle stands, one near the
stadium and one at Town hall, which is dedicated for trucks only. Barguna Sadar Bazar is a
major congestion point in this upazila. Taltolar Mor is the only parking stand in Patharghata,

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used for buses and trucks. Patharghata Chourasta and BRTC bus stand is a major congestion
point of this upazila. In Kalapara Paurashava, there is no parking facility for any vehicle, and
road condition is not satisfactory as well. Paurashava bazar intersection, Hotel Ruban
intersection, Badurtoli sluice-gate intersection, Pakhimara bazar intersection, Alipur bridge
intersection and Kuakata Chourasta are some of the major congestion point of the upazila.
The communication system of Galachipa is enriched by both road and waterways. Bus
service is available from Haridebpur and Ulania bazar which regularly travels to Dhaka.
Haridebpur bazar is a major congestion point of the upazila. The road connectivity of Amtali
upazila is dominated by good public transportation sector. Amtali Chourasta intersection is a
major congestion point of the upazila. The Amtali-Taltali-Sonakata road is used for long
distance trips from Taltali to Dhaka. There is no dedicated stand for any kinds of vehicle in
Taltali.

8.12 Travel Time Survey

Seven major routes were selected for Travel Time Survey. It was conducted using “Average
Car Technique”. The survey result (Figure 8-8) shows that, the average travel speed for
different routes varied between 15 kph to 43 kph, with Route 2 having highest speed and
route 1 the lowest. Road condition of Route 1 is not good from Chapali to Lalua Bazar
because three bridges are under construction and there is traffic jam in Kalapara Bazar. Road
condition of route 2 is better than the other routes though the road is narrow and has several
sharp turns. Due to bad road condition and narrow road, the survey team could not carry on
the survey by using car. Some routes are surveyed by motorcycle and with combination of car
and motorcycle.

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 Speed:
Speed:
20 Speed: 24 25
km/hr km/hr
Speed: 43 km/hr
Mode Mode
km/hr Mode
used: Bike
Mode
used: Bike

Speed:
29
km/hr Speed:
Mode 34
km/hr
Mode
Speed:
21
Speed: km/hr
28 Mode
km/hr
Speed: Mode Speed:
43 17
km/hr km/hr

Source: PKCP,2020
Mode Mode

Figure 8-8: Travel Time Routes with Speeds

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8.13 Policy Guidelines
Some policies and guidelines are incorporated in this report with close coordination of other
survey firms and client (UDD).

• Congestion at Bazar Areas: It was observed that congestion occur almost inevitably at the
bazar areas. To solve this issue, it is recommended that for every growth center, a specific
land area, at least 250 m away from the intersections, will be dedicated as the bazar area.
The location should have well defined access and there should be designated places for
goods loading and unloading. Permanent stand for Trucks in prominent loading should be
constructed. Decent pedestrian facilities should be constructed to discourage jaywalking
which pose both safety and operational hazard.

• Congestion due to UCM Parking: It was evident that as proper public transport facilities
are non-existent in major parts of the study area, unconventional modes of transport
(UCM) have grown dramatically. At every major stops that are used as access and egress
points of UCMs will need to be served with an UCM parking area to avoid congestion.

• Congestions at Intersections: Intersections need to be widened and various major

movements are to be channelized constructing physical barriers.

• Lack of River Crossing Facilities: At present, several initiatives have been taken to
construct bridges replacing the ferries. It is expected that once such projects reach
completion, this issue will mostly get resolved. Bainchotki ferry should be replaced by
bridge with utmost importance

• Poor Pavement Condition: Concerned authorities should have well designed maintenance
plans for pavements. Again, bazar areas can be relocated from the main carriage width.

• Lack of Properly Designed Inter-Modal Transfer Opportunities: Proper facilities should

be designed connecting different modes, especially waterways with road network. There
should be designated public transport, loading-unloading-parking areas, waiting areas.

• Lack of Public Transport: The UCMs (Unconventional modes of transport) should be

replaced with more convenient public transportation, say local bus

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