A sudden embankment collapse in the Khulpetua River has flooded at least 10 villages in Satkhira's Ashashuni upazila, washing away thousands of shrimp farms and leaving riverside residents devastated.
The incident occurred at 10 AM on Monday when approximately 150 feet of a weakened embankment in the Bichat village collapsed into the river.
Former UP member Ziarul Islam reported that villagers were engaged in Eid prayers when they received news of the embankment breach near Abdur Rahim Sardar’s shrimp farm. An announcement was made via the local mosque’s loudspeaker, urging residents to rush to the site with baskets and shovels to build a temporary ring embankment. Despite their efforts for three and a half hours, the strong tidal waves at 12:30 PM further eroded the remaining structure, allowing floodwaters to surge into the locality.
Local resident Shawkat Hossain confirmed that water had already inundated Bichat, Ballavpur, Nayakhali, Anulia, and six nearby villages, submerging homes and fish farms. He warned that if immediate action was not taken, neighboring Khajra and Borda unions could also face severe flooding.
A local journalist Krishna Chakraborty informed the Daily Observer that the embankment had shown signs of erosion a month earlier. Upon notifying the Water Development Board (WDB), an inspection was conducted, and two projects worth Tk 46 lakh were approved. Local contractor Shawkat Hossain had begun repair work, but the embankment collapsed before completion, causing significant damage to the area.
Anulia UP Chairman Ruhul Kuddus stated that he visited the site immediately after receiving reports of the breach. Nearly 200 feet of the embankment had completely disappeared into the river. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer and the Executive Engineer of Satkhira Water Development Board Division-1 were informed of the situation. However, due to the ongoing holiday, WDB officials were unavailable but were making efforts to return and address the crisis.
Executive Engineer of Satkhira WDB Division-1, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, confirmed that his department had dispatched officials to the site and was taking urgent measures to control the situation. The matter has also been reported to higher authorities for further intervention.
ZR/SA
