Neglect pockmarks Chandpur embankment, raises collapse risk

The 64km embankment protects around 12,995 hectares of farmland across 14 unions from river erosion and tidal surges

Years of neglect and poor upkeep have left more than 100 potholes and craters peppering the Meghna-Dhanagoda embankment in Chandpur's Matlab North Upazila, putting the critical flood barrier at serious risk.

A recent ground survey of roughly 25km between Satnal and Amirabad found 10 to 12 large breaches and 40 to 50 smaller pits along the embankment of Bangladesh's second-largest irrigation project.

In places, soil has collapsed beneath the road surface, leaving hollow voids underneath; elsewhere, sections of the road hang suspended in the air.

Hundreds of thousands of people cross the embankment daily, putting their lives at risk.

Residents say new holes open up after every bout of rain while existing ones keep widening.

Local resident Md Shamsuzzaman said the most dangerous stretches lie near Amirabad, Mohanpur, Satnal, Shikirchar, Eklaspur, Jahirabad and Janatabazar, where a major collapse or accident could happen at any time.

Amirabad residents Md Kamruzzaman and Md Kamal Hossain said the embankment has been breached at least twice since it was built, causing damage running into the hundreds of millions of taka to crops, homesteads and infrastructure.

That trauma still haunts the community, they said, and conditions now point to a similar disaster unfolding.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) records show the 64km Meghna-Dhanagoda Irrigation Project was built in the fiscal year 1987-88 with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Bangladesh government.

It protects 14 unions, one municipality and 12,995 hectares of farmland from river erosion and tidal surges.

Locals say the embankment has not had a permanent overhaul in years.

Repeated warnings to the authorities have gone unheeded, pushing residents in several areas to plug the damaged sections themselves using sandbags, soil and bricks.

Truck driver Md Sohel Mia, who uses the road daily, said some potholes are so deep that a small error in judgement could tip a vehicle over, adding that nights on the road are "terrifying".

CNG-powered autorickshaw driver Md Al-Amin said he constantly swerves to avoid the holes and often comes close to accidents, with conditions worsening whenever it rains

Rahim Badsha, district secretary of the citizens' rights group Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) in Chandpur, warned that without urgent repairs, intensifying monsoon rains could trigger a major collapse or breach, flooding hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes and devastating agriculture, fisheries and road links.

BWDB Executive Engineer Md Salim Shahed said the damaged spots have been identified and repairs are being arranged swiftly.

Upazila administrator (UNO) Mahmuda Kulsum Moni said the administration is monitoring the situation around the clock and has directed the relevant authorities to act without delay.