CHANDPUR, June 19: The Chandpur town protection dam is facing a threat of collapse at some points due to a sharp rise in the water level and strong current in the Meghna River.
The vulnerable points are Dole Mandir, Jamuna Road Tilabari area, Horishova, Ronagoyal, Dakhshin, Sreeramdi, and Pilot House area.
While visiting the area, this correspondent found that concrete blocks at Dole Mandir point at Puranbazar in the town are sinking since early Friday.
The subsidence of concrete cement blocks in and around the mandir (temple) is creating panic among thousands of traders and residents. Thousands of people in other vulnerable areas living beside the dam at Natunbazar are also passing sleepless night.
Shah Alam, a resident of Natunbazar area said, "We are living on the bank of the Meghna River and passing sleepless night because the city protection dam has developed several cracks."
Mostafa Kamal, another resident of Horishova, said, "I can't sleep at night. The Meghna River once devoured my home. If it is washed away this time, I'll have nowhere to go."
Chandpur Water Development Board Executive Engineer Refat Jamil said, "Chandpur town is located beside the confluence of three rivers-Meghna, Padma and Dakatia. It is always under threat of erosion during the peak rainy season because of the onrush of floodwaters from upstream".
He further said, "Upstream water flows into the Bay of Bengal through the mighty Meghna River via Chandpur belt".
"Under the town protection-related flood rehabilitation programme, a total of 13 thousand concrete blocks (CC blocks) and a total of 10 thousand sand-filled GEO textile bags have already been dumped into vulnerable spots at Natunbazar and Puranbazar areas of the town to keep it (dam) safe from any cracks and collapse in the days ahead," he added.
Besides, he says, a total of 13 thousand GEO bags, filled with sand and 13 thousand CC blocks are ready to be dumped to carry out any emergency repair work on the dam if necessary.
According to the local BWDB office, "Water level in the Meghna River is rising fast and but it is still flowing under danger level at Chandpur."
It can be mentioned that since the beginning of this dam's work in 1973, approximately Tk 1.9 billion (190 crore) has been spent on building of this dam. All money has been spent on repair work and strengthening the dam (covering about five kilometres in the town's Natunbazar and Puranbazar) when it was necessary but the government has not yet planned to build any permanent town protection dam to save Chandpur town from river erosion.
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