Amtali town protection dyke under erosion threat
Many concrete blocks of Amtali upazila town protection dyke on the Payra river in Barguna have collapsed into the river due to lack of repair, threatening the town.
Locals said several government and non-government offices and other establishments in the area are now under threat of erosion by the river. If the dyke is not repaired immediately, thousands of houses including some government establishments like the office of Water Development Board, food warehouse, Muktijoddha Government Primary School, launch ghat and ferry ghat in the town may go into the river anytime. The town protection dyke has become fragile due to lack of renovation work since its construction over two decades ago.
According to the Barguna Water Development Board (WDB), WDB built the 1200-metre-long dyke on the Payra river bank from the ferry ghat area to the WDB office in Amtali municipality in 1998 to protect the town from erosion. The dyke became risky after it was hit by cyclones Sidr in 2007, Aila in 2008, Mohasen in 2013, Roanu in 2016 and the latest Bulbul and Amphan. As a result, a number of structures including timber markets and crematoriums are now facing erosion threat.
To renovate the dyke, WDB in 2014 took a project funded by the World Bank but the contractor repaired 115 meters of the dyke, leaving he rest of the work behind. Since then the town has been facing erosion threat. Most of the blocks of the dyke went into the river in the last 22 years. Several structures collapsed into the river during the time.
During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent found that many concrete blocks of the dyke on the river bank had been washed away, threatening a number of houses including the ferry ghat, crematoriums, a government primary school, launch ghat and food warehouse.
Md Ripon, a timber trader in the municipality area, said the impact of the Sidr has increased the intensity of river erosion. As a result, the sufferings of the people in the area are increasing day by day.
Syed Md Masum of Launch ghat area said the area is under threat of erosion as the blocks of the dyke here have been washed away.
He also demanded immediate repair of the damaged dyke to protect the town from erosion.
Matiar Rahman, mayor of Amtali municipality, said the size of the municipality is getting smaller due to erosion of the Payra river. Many establishments in the municipality area are under threat of collapse as several old concrete blocks of the dyke had been washed away.
He further said if the dyke is not renovated immediately, the government and non-government structures in the area may go into the river anytime. It is necessary to build a three-kilometer-long dyke on the bank of the river to protect the town from erosion.
The mayor urged the ministry concerned to reconstruct the dyke as soon as possible.
Barguna WDB Assistant Engineer Azizur Rahman Sujan said a project proposal has been sent to the higher authority to renovate the town protection dyke. After getting approval, the renovation work will start.
Comments