School, homesteads go into Teesta riverbed

Breach of the protection embankment on the Teesta River at Kalmati village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila during the last three days caused devouring of dozens of homesteads, a large area of farmland and a high school by the river. PHOTO: STAR

The Teesta devoured a high school, 60 homesteads and large areas of cultivable lands and orchards as 100 metres of protection embankment collapsed from Wednesday evening to yesterday morning.
Earlier 50 metres of embankment collapsed on Tuesday.
More 250 metres of dyke is also under the threat due to strong current from the upstream, leaving many homesteads, cultivable lands, orchards and important establishments in the village vulnerable to erosion by the Teesta River, said Water Development Board (WDB) officials.
"Academic building of Kalmati Adarsha High School was devoured by Teesta after collapse of the protection embankment. The dyke collapsed after one year of its construction as low quality and less than required quantity of materials was used for the purpose," said Nayeb Ali Miah, headmaster of the school.
"The government allocated the funds as per requirement for constructing the embankment but most of it was embezzled jointly by a section of WDB officials, contractors and local ruling party men," he alleged.
Hamid Uddin, an erosion-hit villager said his homestead, four bighas of land with standing crops and a banana orchard were devoured by the Teesta from Wednesday morning to yesterday noon as the dyke collapsed under the pressure of strong current from the upstream.
Local Union Parishad member Enamul Haque also blamed use of low quality and insufficient quantity of materials by WDB for collapse of the dyke after one year of its construction.
Golam Robbani, sub-assistant engineer of WDB in Lalmonirhat, said, "WDB has already started working to check the erosion through dumping sandbags in the affected area. One hundred labourers are working there. WDB must check the erosion anyhow."
Enayet Ullah, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB, said, "WDB is trying hard to save the rest of the dyke and check the erosion. The dyke collapsed due to heavy current of the Teesta from the upstream, not for construction problem."