River Paira out to devour Lebukhali ferry ghat

Erosion by the Paira River has taken a serious turn in Lebukhali ferry terminal area, making vehicular movement on Barisal-Patuakhali road highly vulnerable. PHOTO: STAR

Erosion by the River Paira has taken a serious turn, threatening Lebukhali ferry ghat (terminal) on Patuakhali-Barisal highway.
Over, 160 pieces of bamboo-made cages each filled with 25 bricks dumped at the erosion points to save the terminal recently were washed away by the river in the last three weeks, said WDB deputy assistant engineer Abu Bakar Bhuiyan.
Earlier, during the monsoon, about 300 metres of flood control dam on both sides of the ferry ghat went into the river.
Of the total, 100 metres on the east side and 200 metres on the west of the ghat were devoured, said Water Development Board (WDB) official.
“As the bamboo cages were not properly made, they were broken by heavy tidal surge eventually. The bricks came out from the cages and rolled into the river,” said Shahjahan Pada, a resident of the area.
Due to the situation, the ghat, deemed as the lone entrance point of the district and also the only way to Kuakata, is now under erosion threat, he said.

Local people blamed the men of contractors for the worsened situation.
Meanwhile, over 100 families in the area are now passing their days in fear that erosion might devour their homesteads anytime, said Delwar Hossain Akon, another local resident.
If immediate steps are not taken to thwart the erosion, the terminal may go into the river anytime, he said.
Contacted, Md Jahirul Islam, executive engineer of Patuakhali RHD, said they informed the higher authorities about the matter.
“We recently wrote for fund to save the ghat from the erosion but yet to get any positive response”, said Abu Bakar Bhuiyan.