Downpour breaches Mymensingh protection dyke

Last week's heavy downpour caused severe damage to eight-kilometre-long Mymensingh City Protection Embankment at five points.

Two of the damaged points are in Khagdohor Taltola area and three others in Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Park (Saheb Quarters Park) area of the divisional city, said sources at Mymensingh Water Development Board (WDB).

Work of the embankment from Khagdohor to Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge

(Shambhuganj Bridge) area began in 1998 and was completed in 2008 under the Secondary Towns Integrated Flood Protection Project funded by the World Bank, said WDB sources.

The area experienced a heavy rainfall on May 28 and the rainwater rolled down the embankment, causing damage to it, WDB sources said.

"On an emergency basis, we started repair work in Zainul Park area on June 1 involving required number of workers. Primary we assessed that it will cost around Tk 8 lakh for repair work at the three points," said Md Musa, executive engineer of WDB, Mymensingh.

For repair work at two points in Khagdohor Taltola area, contractors will be assigned after assessment of the cost very soon, he added.

The repair work will be completed soon as the water level in the Brahmaputra River is going up every day, WDB officials said, adding that it will become difficult to repair the dyke if the water level in the river sees a sharp rise.

The embankment faced damage after heavy downpour due to unplanned tree plantation alongside the embankment and appearance of rat holes, said WDB Executive Engineer Md Musa.

Due to faulty drainage system along the embankment, the water cannot flow out easily after heavy rain and it enters the gaps in the embankment, causing such havoc, he said.

Engineer Nurul Amin Kalam, secretary of Mymensingh Nagorik Andolon, a citizens' forum, said during construction of the embankment, the work of earth-filling was not done properly and so the embankment sees damage after every heavy shower.

Earth filling work at the damaged points should be done properly and the slopes to drain out the rainwater into the river should be modified, he suggested.