Laxmipur:
Lakshmipur Kamalnagar's Meghna river embankment has collapsed again. There is panic among the locals as the dam collapses even in the dry season.
About 100 meters of the embankment collapsed till Monday (November 26) evening. Earlier, the collapse occurred on Saturday (November 25) night.
Locals complain that in the last year and a half, the arrow protection dam has collapsed at least eight times. The areas on both sides of the dam are continuously breaking down as the second phase work has not started. Dams are collapsing again and again due to low quality work through irregularities.
Project in-charge of the contracting company Western Engineering. Afshar said, dumping of geo bags (special bags filled with sand) has been done to prevent the collapse.
Mohammad Musa, executive engineer of Laxmipur Water Development Board, said that the erosion of the river has increased as the water started to recede. Its effect has also affected the arrow protection dam. Renovation work is underway immediately after the dam collapse. One kilometer of embankment is not enough to prevent erosion. A Development Project Proposal (DPP) has been sent to the ministry for the construction of another 15 km dam. It is expected to be approved by next month.
In 2014, the government allocated Tk 198 crore for the Meghna river bank protection dam. One kilometer dam in Kamalnagar, three and a half kilometers in Alexander in Ramgatti and one kilometer dam in Ramgatirhat Machghat area should be constructed with the allocated money. On February 1, 2015, the 19 Engineering Construction Battalion, under the supervision of the Army, started construction of a dam to prevent erosion in the Alexander area and successfully implemented three and a half kilometers. Meanwhile, Narayanganj Dockyard Engineering Limited got one kilometer of work in Kamalnagar with Tk 48 crore of that allocation. In early 2016, two years after the allocation of funds, the company started working with Western Engineering. That year, the work was stopped due to the pressure of the locals as the work was started with low quality sand and geo bags. At that time, the local residents made a human chain to protest the irregularities and demand proper work
