Another 100-meter section of the protective embankment of the Padma Bridge project area in Jajira, Shariatpur has been washed away into the Padma River. The erosion occurred on Wednesday evening in the Mangal Majhi-Sattar Madabar Ghat and the area adjacent to the market. Ten shops in the Ghat area have been evacuated.
In the last 15 days, a 600-meter section of the dam has collapsed into the river. As a result, 33 businesses and 15 homes have been submerged in the riverbed. Another 50 homes have been evacuated due to erosion fears. Another 240 businesses in the market and ghat areas are at risk. In addition, at least 600 families in the villages of Alam Kharkandi, Ukil Uddin Munshikandi and Ochim Uddin Madbarkandi are also at risk of erosion.
According to the Shariatpur Water Development Board (Pawbo), the first dam breach occurred in the Naodoba Zero Point area of Jajira in November last year. After that, 100 meters of the dam broke on June 7 this year, 200 meters on July 7, 100 meters on July 9 and another 100 meters on Wednesday and disappeared into the Padma. To prevent erosion, sand-filled geo bags are being temporarily placed in a 500-meter area. So far, 132,000 geo bags have been placed, but the erosion is not being stopped.
Paubo said that the southern end of the Padma Bridge has started from the Naodoba area of Jajira. Service Area-2, cantonment, Padma Bridge South Police Station and other infrastructure have been built within 500 meters of the Jajira end of the Padma Bridge. For this, erosion started in the Naodoba area around 2012 during the acquisition of land. To protect the bridge area from river erosion, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority built a bank protection dam at a cost of 1.1 billion taka in the area 2 kilometers downstream from the bridge. Later, a river management dam was added to it.
Abdul Malek, general secretary of the Mangal Majhi-Sattar Madbar Ghat and Market Traders Association, said that 10 businesses were evacuated yesterday as erosion started again. Some more shops are being evacuated today. Due to the presence of the embankment, traders were doing business without any problems for so long. Now the owners and employees of 250 shops are in panic.
Jajira Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Kaberi Roy said that the dam has been eroding for some time as it is old. On the one hand, work is underway to prevent erosion, on the other hand, new erosion is occurring. A list of shops to be removed is being prepared. Necessary measures will be taken once the list is received.
Shariatpur Water Development Board Executive Engineer Tarek Hasan said, “The water and current in the river are high now. Due to this, erosion is happening in various places. We are trying to prevent erosion by placing geo bags. In addition, a project proposal is being prepared for the construction of a permanent dam.”
Source: Prothom Alo
