Manu River Erosion in Kulaura Upazila
One-third of levee partially disappears in one day
Market, road devoured; Thousands of bighas of farmlands in at least 20 villages under threat; WDB dumped only sandbags
Nearly 60 meters of Kunimura-Tarapasha road on the Manu river flood control embankment has been eroded by the river in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila on Thursday.
As the erosion devoured a large number of stores at Kawkapon Bazar, an age-old market along the road, inhabitants of nearby villages have been moving away to safety, fearing further damage to the embankment.
Elderly storeowner Salahuddin said after losing his variety store that his grandfather started, he was worried whether the entire embankment will now disappear into the river.
“We took shelter on the embankment after losing our croplands and homesteads to the river’s erosion before and we are now worried if the embankment itself will be lost,” said Nurul Islam of the same area.
Abdul Basit Bachchu, chairman of Hajipur Union Parishad, said playgrounds, tube wells as well as 36 shops on the riverside of the 100-year-old market had been eroded by the river last year.
About one-third of the 180-meter-long levee has partially collapsed on Thursday and if it breaches completely this time, thousands of bighas of farmlands and orchards in at least 20 villages will disappear, he added.
President of Kawkapon Bazar association Porimol Chandra Dey said the loss sustained by storeowners due to erosion this time might be around Tk 1 crore.
Another leader of the traders, the association’s General Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman, said the government gets revenue from the market every year. But the Water Development Board’s (WDB) hasty repair work on the levee, with sandbags and bamboo, was washed away by the river’s strong current from upstream.
Unless a proper repair work is done, the market as well as a large area protected by the embankment will be devoured by the river, he also said.
Contacted, WDB Assistant Engineer in Moulvibazar Abdul Kader said they were aware that the road on the levee sustained severe damage and many of the stores along its side were washed away.
The WDB was undertaking a fresh project to do all necessary work for protecting the embankment in Kawkapon Bazar area, he added.