Just repaired Chondimari dyke partially collapses

About 100 metres of Chondimari dyke has been damaged again by Teesta River in the last four days, posing a threat to thousands of villagers of Mohishkhocha union in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat.Photo: STAR

Chondimari dyke, repaired only two months ago, has partially collapsed due to turbulence of Teesta River in Mohishkhocha union of Aditmari upazila.
Tk one crore and 65 lakh was spent for the repair of the dyke but it washed away due to use of low quality cement concrete CC blocks, locals alleged.
About 100 metres of the 1340-meter-long dyke collapsed in the last four days since Monday, they said.
Lalmonirhat Water Development Board had trying to halt the erosion by dumping sand bags in the water till filing of this report yesterday.
A WDB official said that the repair of the dyke was completed only two months ago. The construction firm handed over the dyke to WDB in May this year.
Shamsul Islam, 60, of Chondimari village said that the construction firm did not use CC blocks as per agreement for repairing the dam and that is why it cannot stand the pressure of Teesta water.
Mohir Uddin, 55, another villager, made the same allegation.
Sohidar Rahman, a local schoolteacher said, Chondimari dyke was built to save 10 thousand families of Mohishkhocha union in Aditmari upazila from the Teesta River. If it collapses, the whole union will face flood and erosion.
Refuting the allegation of using low quality materials in repairing the dyke, a WDB official said that the construction firm handed over the work after doing 'hundred present work.'
“WDB officials are in high alert to save the dyke by any means as it protects scores of families, homesteads, croplands, orchards and many important establishments of a union,” he said.