Lakshmipur: The Kamalnagar Meghna River bank protection dam in Lakshmipur has once again collapsed. The under-construction dam has collapsed four times in the last three months. Locals have alleged that the dam is repeatedly collapsing due to poor quality work done through irregularities.
On Saturday (September 23), around 9 pm, the Meghna River bank protection dam in Matabbarnagar, Kamalnagar, was seen collapsing. The southern part of the dam collapsed. As a result, about 100 meters of the dam collapsed into the river. To prevent the immediate collapse, the contractor dumped some geo bags filled with sand. Earlier, the bank protection dam collapsed in the afternoon. Similarly, the collapse of the river bank protection dam for a few days in a row has caused panic among the locals.
It is learned that the contractor constructed the dam without properly dumping 45 meters of geo bags (special bags filled with sand) and blocks inside the riverbank protection dam. There are also allegations of using substandard sand and geo bags. Due to which the dam collapsed for the first time in late June. Then it collapsed again on July 26. Later, it collapsed again in August.
Locals complain that the dam construction has been going on irregularly since the beginning. Due to the use of poor quality sand and geo bags instead of proper sand, the bank protection dam has collapsed four times. Also, although the dam was supposed to be built by collecting soil from elsewhere, the dam has been repeatedly collapsed due to the soil being excavated from the river bank. Masud Rana, AGM of the contractor company Western Engineering, said, the water level in the river has increased. There is also a strong tide. Some parts of the dam have been damaged due to the pull of the low tide. We have quickly dumped the sand-filled geo bags. We hope that the dam is now risk-free.
In this regard, an attempt was made to talk to Gazi Yar Ali, Executive Engineer of Lakshmipur Water Development Board, on mobile at around 9:30 pm. It was not possible to talk as he did not answer the phone. In 2014, the government allocated Tk 198 crore for the Meghna River bank protection dam. With the allocated money, one kilometer dam in Kamalnagar, three and a half kilometers in Ramgatir Alexander and one kilometer in Ramgatirhat Masghat area are to be constructed. On February 1, 2015, the 19th Engineering Construction Battalion under the supervision of the army started the construction of the dam to prevent erosion in the Alexander area and successfully implemented three and a half kilometers. Meanwhile, Narayanganj Dockyard Engineering Ltd. got one kilometer of work in Kamalnagar for Tk 48 crore from that allocation. Two years after the allocation, the company started work with Western Engineering in early 2016.
Meghna River bank protection dam collapses in Kamalnagar, Nimmana's work alleged
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