Chandpur town protection embankment threatened
People shifting to safer places as sudden erosion by Meghna devoured several homesteads and business set-ups at Puran Bazar in Chandpur town yesterday. PHOTO: FOCUS BANGLA
With sudden erosion by Meghna River, parts of Chandpur town protection embankment have become vulnerable.
As the Meghna started devouring about 100-metre area from Jugipatti to fish market at Puran Bazar of the town at around 1:00pm yesterday, panicked people started shifting whatever they could to safer places.
To stop further erosion in the area, authorities started dumping sand bags yesterday afternoon.
Earlier on Monday night, over 10 metres of the town protection embankment at Molehead (extreme west of the town) near Chandpur Railway Station suddenly collapsed.
To save the vital part of the embankment, concrete blocks were dumped immediately.
Depth of the Meghna at the vulnerable point is about 70 metres while velocity of current is very high, Water Development Board Executive Engineer Jiban Krishna Dash said.
Chandpur Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Jahangir Akhand Selim has urged the government to take 'permanent measures' to save commercially important Puran Bazar from further erosion by the Meghna.
Despite spending crores of taka during the last few years to save Chandpur town protection embankment from erosion by Meghna River, the problem continues in absence of coordinated measures for the purpose, said locals and business leaders.
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