UZ offices under threat as embankment breaks

Erosion by the Padma River has taken a serious turn in Harirampur upazila under the district.

A portion of the riverbank protection embankment went into the river in last couple of weeks, threatening the upazila complex compound, upazila health complex, police station, rest house, and 200-year-old Andharmanik Bazar -- all situated within 200-300 metres from the river.

A few government offices, schools and colleges are also facing risk.

Water Development Board (WDB) built 1800-metre-long embankment for Tk 20 crore in two phase to protect the upazila town on the Padma riverbank from the erosion, said sources at office of the sub-divisional engineer of WDB at Manikganj.

The 1200 metre embankment between Bhelabad and the upazila headquarter was built with CC blocks in 2007, followed by 600-metre-long embankment between Andharmanik and the upazila headquarters the next year.

The entire embankment will go into the river if the authorities do not take immediate initiative to save it.

Abul Hashar Sobuj, vice-chairman of Harirampur Upazila Parishad, said the WDB took an initiative to dump 20 thousand GO sandbags this year to save the embankment from the erosion.

But the contractors dumped only 25 percent CC block, violating office work order. I informed the department concerned of the matter, he alleged.

Md Mainuddin, sub-divisional engineer of Manikganj WDB, said he sent Tk 45 lakh demand letter to his higher authority to save the embankment from the erosion.

Two hundred homesteads, crops on three hundred of acres of land and several educational institutions of Boyra, Azimnagar, Ramkrishnapur, Kanchanpur, Sutalori and Harukandi unions of the upazila were devoured by the river in this season.

Earlier large portions of six unions of the upazila went into the Padma.

Demanding necessary steps to check erosion, locals formed human chains and brought out processions several times in the past.