Panic as erosion hits key Jamuna embankment in Sirajganj's Kazipara

Authorities have been reinforcing the barrage with sandbags as a damage control measure

A key protective embankment along the Jamuna River in Sirajganj’s Kazipur Upazila has eroded away as the mighty river swelled, causing panic among residents.

The collapse was first spotted in the Meghai No. 1 Solid Spar area, according to Kamruzzaman Biplob, chairman of the Kazipur Sadar union council.

Locals say the complete erosion of the embankment will threaten the existence of essential infrastructural buildings, such as government offices, in the sub-district.

Around 30-35 metres of the embankment have already been swallowed by the Jamuna River, and further damage will leave the Kazipur Police Station, food warehouse, registry office, and union council building at risk, according to Biplob.

Md Anik Islam, the acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Kazipur, said the administration alerted the Bangladesh Water Development Board as quickly as they could. Members of the government agency have already arrived on the spot.

“We are dumping geo sandbags for now as a damage control measure,” Md Mahbubur Rahman, an executive engineer at the BWDB, said.

The 300-metre-long embankment was built in the Meghai Kheyaghat area to protect Kazipur in 1997.

In 2012 and 2013, as much as 150 metres of the dam eroded into the Jamuna River. Cement concrete blocks have been used afterwards to reinforce the vulnerable parts of the embankment.