Demand for construction of permanent dam to protect the existence of Chandpur city protection.Erosion of the Meghna River occurs at some point in the 3300 mitre area of Chandpur city protection Dam almost every year. As a result, many business establishments and homes disappeared in the riverbed. And every time crores of taka are spent on repairing the erosion by removing sand-filled geo-vag or blocks from the Water Development Board.
Although there is a rule to renovate a dam every five or ten years during the dry season, it has not been rehabilitated permanently since 2002. Therefore, in order to protect Puranbazar and Chandpur from the erosion of the Meghna, there has been a demand from the conscious community to build a permanent sustainable dam without renovating it at the cost of crores of taka.
According to the search, 15 houses in the Harisava area of Puranbazar were washed away by the river in the rainy season last year. Since then, about 93,000 sand-filled geo-textile bags have been dumped on an emergency basis. Later this year, if the eruption occurs again, the process of removing 18,000 sand-filled geo-vases is underway on an emergency basis. So far, a total of 9,000 sand-filled geo-vases have been removed from the project. The remaining 9,000 sacks are in process.
According to the source, a project worth Tk. 430 crore has been sent to the Ministry of Planning for the renovation of Chandpur city protection Dam. But the project was postponed at a meeting last March.
Chandpur Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mohammad Babul Akhter said the Chandpur city protection dam has not been repaired for a long time. A dam has to be repaired every five or ten years. But it was not done. We have sent a project worth Tk. 430 crore to repair the entire city protection dam. The project was postponed at a meeting last March. The ministry was informed to conduct a survey and re-submit the project. But due to Corona it has not yet been possible to create a project for the survey.
Tamal Kumar Ghosh, vice-president of the Chandpur Chamber of Commerce, said the area is at risk during the monsoon season every year. Last year, several houses in the Harisava area were washed away by the river. Local residents of Harisava area are in fear of demolition. There is also a shrine of the Hindu community here. Besides, the business area of the traditional Puranbazar is also at risk. Permanent measures are needed to prevent erosion.
Mohammad Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Additional Chief Engineer, Cumilla Region, Bangladesh Water Development Board, told the Chandpur Times that the city was damaged by cracks in various parts of the Raksha Dam when the water was over-pressed during the monsoon season. The 30-meter defense dam of Chandpur Puranbazar was suddenly damaged on Wednesday. Where the problem is we are repairing it immediately. If Chandpur city protection dam is to be repaired permanently, it has to be done through a project. We have submitted a project to the ministry.
Under this project, I will strengthen and consolidate the work of 3,300 meter defense dam in Chandpur city. The project will cost Tk. 451 crore. If the project is passed, it will be possible to protect Chandpur city protection dam from river erosion permanently.
Correspondent: Ashiq bin Rahim, August 14,2020