Severe river erosion continues at Dacope

DACOPE, KHULNA, Nov 25: Severe erosion by different rivers in Dacope Upazila of the district have threatened three polders at several points of embankments belonging to Water Development Board (WDB) turned risky.
Financed by World Bank (WB) loan, embankments were also built under two of these polders in the upazila.
With the unabated erosion, maps of localities on banks of rivers are getting narrowed day by day.
If the risky points are not repaired quickly, these dams are likely to get into river beds.
In fear of irrecoverable damage to Aman crop, thousands of locals are worried at different localities.  
On ground of geographical location, Dacope Upazila constitutes of three separate islands. These islands are witnessing erosion the whole year.
Due to erosion, many locals have  been turned destitute after losing their houses and properties.
Dacope is surrounded by numerous rivers such as Rakkusi Shibsa, Dhaki, Chunkuri, Pashur, Jopjopia, and Manga. These rivers are still mighty.
Of the three polders of WDB, there are Chalna Pourasabha, Paankhali, and Tildanga unions in the island of Polder 31. Kamar Khola and Sutar Khali unions are under the island of Polder 32. Bazua, Dacope, Kailashganj, Laodob and Banishanta unions are under the island of Polder 33.
Sustainable new embankments of the WDB were constructed under polders 32 and 33 at Tk 150 crore provided by WB. Constructions of these dams were made by Chinese contracting firms. But these dams are yet to be handed over to WDB. Now these have developed breaking at different points.
These dams raised at the finance of WB did not come of any use for dwellers of Kamarkhola and Sutarkhali unions. Rather, in the name of mega projects, huge money was misappropriated.
The same condition of breaking is lying with dams at Polder 31.
Santos Sarkar of Gunari area said, sustainable embankments are being not constructed due to lack of proper plan. That is why the newly built embankments have developed breaching at several points, he added.
With embankment breaking, opportunities are created for some local public representatives, contractors and WDB officials to change their lots, he further said. Besides, eyewash repairing takes place slowly, he maintained.
If the broken points are not repaired soon, embankments are likely to be broken further, flooding localities, affecting local life and damaging Aman crop, he said again.
He was echoed by other locals including Shachin Chandra Mandal of Chunkuri area, Pranab Kabiraj of Batbunia, Falguni Haldar of Pannkhali.
Sutarkhali Union Masum Ali Fakir of Polder 32 said, sand filled geo bags are being dumped at several points of WDB's embankments; but this will come of no use; because without blocks the erosion cannot be prevented; eyewash repairing is done; human chain was formed demanding sustainable embankments, but it is making no headway.
WDB's Executive Engineer Ashraful Alam said, the total risky points of WDB embankments are six kilometres.
Along with geo bag dumping, alternative dam construction is on-going, the WDB official maintained.