Chandpur town dam on brink of collapse as Meghna swells

The river flowing 15 cm above the danger mark, 10,000 people marooned in char areas

OUR CORRESPONDENT | August 15, 2022 12:00:00

CHANDPUR, Aug 14: Under the influence of the depression in the Bay, water level of the Meghna River has swelled, leaving the town protection embankment in Chandpur Natun Bazar and Puranbazar areas on the verse of collapse.

The situation has created panic among several thousand people residing in the Bundh area, said locals. From Saturday night, the mighty river (Meghna) is flowing 15 centimetres above the danger level in Chandpur belt.

Contacted , Refat Jamil, executive engineer of Water Development Board, Chandpur, said there are four points in the embankment which are at significant risk of collapse.

The points include Tilabari area beside the BIWTA Launch Ghat, Jamuna Ghat in Chandpur Natun Bazar, Horishava area and Rona Goyal in Puranbazar area.

A large number of concrete cement blocks and sand-filled geo-bags have been dumped in the vulnerable points to protect the embankment.

Though the points are safe now, WDB officials are monitoring the dam area round the clock.

According to the WDB, a total of 10,000 CC blocks and 4,000 sand-filled geo-bags and trawlers loaded with CC blocks have been kept ready just beside the dam to dump those in the eroded area in case of emergency.

Besides, WDB workers have also been kept on high alert to deal with the emergency situation.

Locals are passing time in panic, said Golam Mostafa, Siddiqur Rahman , Abdur Rahman, Shukhranjan, and many others in Horishava and Rona Goyal areas.

On the other hand, about 10,000 people have been marooned in the remote char areas -- Nilkomol, Gazipur, Char Bhoirobi and Haimchar unions under Haimchar Upazila -- as water level has risen in the Meghna river in the past few days. They are left with no other options to go to any other place leaving their cows, bulls and goats. These areas are just 10 km west off Haimchar sadar.

Chai Thoaila Chowdhury, upazila nirbahi officer of Haimchar, said they are monitoring the overall situation and ready to provide all kinds of support for the marooned people if needed through the local UP chairmen.