Teesta bridge threatened

Strong current damaged around 100 metres of the dyke of the Teesta bridge road in Lalmonirhat. Photo: Star

The newly constructed 750-metre Road bridge over the Teesta river in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila is at risk of damage as a large portion of its protection dyke collapsed in the last three days due to strong currents in the trans-boundary river.
Suruz Miah, executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Lalmonirhat, said they were working to ensure protection of the Tk 111 crore Road bridge, opened to the public in September 2012, as it was now under “high threat”.
Locals have blamed the use of substandard materials for the collapse of the protection dyke of the bridge that has linked Lalmonirhat and Kurigram with the southern part of the country. The construction firm, however, has denied it.
Suruz told The Daily Star that they were dumping concrete blocks in the vulnerable points to stop further collapse as well as protect the bridge.
Locals said a heavy flow of water from the upstream was creating strong currents in the river in this rainy season and it caused the damage to around 100 metres of the 300-metre dyke.
They alleged that the construction firm -- Amin-Delim Construction Firm -- had used substandard materials in building concrete blocks. These blocks and poor quality geotextiles were used to construct the dyke on the bank of the river.  
“We, the local people, strongly protested when the construction firm used low quality materials in 2012. But the roads and highways authorities didn't pay heed to the matter due to unknown reasons,” alleged Mahidul Islam, a local.
The construction of the 750 metres long and 12.11 metres wide Teesta Road bridge began on September 7, 2006 and was completed in the first week of September in 2012. Around Tk 111 crore was spent to build the main bridge, approach road and the protection dyke.
The protection dyke was built at the same time. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the Teesta Road bridge to the public on September 20, 2012.
Anwar Hossain, a sub-assistant engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, said reserved concrete blocks were being dumped in the vulnerable spots. “These blocks had been manufactured by the construction firm for using during the crisis period.”
But both officials of the Roads and Highways Department declined to make comments over the allegations of using substandard materials in building the protection dyke.
Shafiqul Islam, an engineer of the construction firm, told this correspondent on Saturday night that they had constructed the bridge maintaining all rules and regulations and used “proper quality products”.
The dyke might have collapsed due to strong currents in the river and it is not unusual, he said, adding that they had built these blocks as reserve to deal with this type of problem.