Dyke collapse caused the flood

Flood victims in 15 villages at Kulaghat union in Sadar upazila blamed the Water Development Board (WDB) for the collapse of a dyke along the Dharla river at Dakkhin Shiberkuti village.

About 300 metres of the dyke collapsed on August 11, flooding the 15 villages, locals said, adding that WDB did not do the repair work of the dyke properly.

Maziron Bewa, 58, widow of late Soleman Ali of the village, said her two houses were washed away by floodwater when the dyke collapsed, and she along with her four-member family are passing their days under the open sky. “If WDB had done the repair work properly, the dyke would not have collapsed and my houses would not have been washed away,” she said, adding that WDB is responsible for rendering them homeless.

Sonabhan Bewa, 62, said they lost their houses due to the negligence of WDB officials. “The government allocated money to save us from erosion by the Dharla river, but WDB officials did not use the money properly,” she added.

“WDB officials, along with the contractor, misappropriated most of the fund without doing the repair work properly,” said flood victim Syed Ali, 48. “There were a large number of bags filled with sand, but those were not dumped before the flood, so the dyke collapsed,” he added.

Kulaghat Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Idris Ali said if all the bags had been dumped in time, the dyke would not have collapsed and so many villages would not have been flooded. “Negligence of WDB officials is responsible for collapse of the dyke,” he alleged.

Contractor of the work, Karmokar Agency's proprietor Dulal Chandra Karmokar told this correspondent to talk to WDB officials for information in this regard.

Sub Divisional Engineer of the district WDB Abullah Al-Mamun said repair work was done properly, but the Dharla river overflowed the dyke, so it collapsed. “First phase of the work costing Tk 13 lakh was completed in the last week of July, while only 20 percent the work of the second phase, costing Tk 1,20,83,000, was done in the first week of August,” he said.

Rejecting the allegation that negligence by WDB officials was responsible for the collapse of the dyke, Executive Engineer of district WDB Krishno Kamol Sarker said the GO bags filled with sand were not dumped as they had not been counted by the authorities.

Residents of the 15 villages urged the authorities concerned to investigate the matter and take necessary steps if WDB officials or the contractor are found responsible for collapse of the dyke.