After receiving news of the dam collapse on Friday afternoon, the Water Development Board’s Rangpur divisional additional chief engineer, supervising engineer and Kurigram executive engineer visited the site. They inspected the site and assured that steps would be taken to start repair work quickly.
Meanwhile, because these collapses have appeared within a short distance over the past week, about 600 meters of the dam is at risk of erosion. This has caused panic among people living along the riverbank.
Locals said that earlier, about one week ago, a collapse appeared along about 28 meters of the dam near Kanchkol Bazar. About 600 meters away from that, beside Putimari Bazar, geo bags shifted from another 30-meter section of the dam and cracks appeared in the block pitching. Before repair work could begin on those sections, another 35-meter section between the previous two sites collapsed on Thursday night.
As a result, concrete blocks from the riverbank protection dam are falling into the river. Locals fear that if protection work does not begin urgently, homes and cropland in the riverside area may disappear into the river.
Earlier this year, on July 1, 16 and 20, collapses appeared in three phases along the right-bank protection dam of the Brahmaputra. The Water Development Board then took emergency steps to stop the collapse by dumping sand-filled geo bags. Within two months, a large section of the same dam has collapsed again.
Asadul Islam of Kanchkol area in Raniganj union said the water has been rising for several days. At the rate it is eroding, a large part of the dam will disappear into the river unless steps are taken quickly to stop it.
Kurigram Water Development Board executive engineer Rakibul Hasan said cracks and collapses have appeared in 4 places across an area of about 600 meters. We have reached the site and are assessing it. The total distance can be stated after the assessment. Permission has been sought from higher authorities for the necessary repair work. Work will begin once permission is received.
He further said that for now, steps will be taken to prevent erosion by dumping sand-filled geo bags.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report