Lakshmipur:
The river has left thousands of families in Kamalnagar upazila of Lakshmipur destitute due to river erosion during the monsoon season. It has swallowed many government and private establishments. Due to continuous erosion, one-third of the upazila is now under the river.
In the past one and a half years, the one-kilometer bank protection dam in the upazila has collapsed at least eight times. The people of this township are now terrified of river erosion. To prevent erosion, another eight-kilometer dam is needed here before the next monsoon season.
To protect themselves from the terrible erosion, the residents of Kamalnagar have organized programs like human chains, meetings and road blockades. In the face of demands, the construction of a one-kilometer bank protection dam was completed last year. Just one kilometer of dam is not enough for Kamalnagar.
The second phase of the Kamalnagar riverbank protection dam is scheduled to begin, but it has not yet seen the light of day. If the second phase of the dam is not started soon, there is a risk that the dam that has been built will also disappear into the river. This will pose a serious threat to several unions including the upazila headquarters.
On the spot, it was seen that the designated one-kilometer dam in the Matabbarhat shore protection dam area is almost destroyed. In the last one and a half years, the dam has collapsed at least eight times. There are concerns about the dam in the coming monsoon season. If the damaged dam is not repaired and more dams are not built on both sides, a great danger will befall Kamalnagar. In such a situation, it is necessary to build more shore protection dams on an urgent basis.
Locals said that the construction of a one-kilometer bank protection dam during the last monsoon saved several areas including Matabbarhat Bazar. The dam is also under threat due to the lack of second-phase work. It is urgent to repair the bank protection dam and build another eight kilometers of dam before the next monsoon. People in the affected areas say that candidates have assured necessary measures to prevent erosion of the Meghna before the 11th National Parliament elections. Now the locals want the elected parliament members to fulfill their promises.
Kamalnagar Upazila Awami League Organizing Secretary and a victim of river erosion, Saifuddin Azam, said that although the main development project proposal (DPP) had instructions to build a second phase of about eight and a half kilometers of dam in Kamalnagar from the 2016-17 fiscal year, work has not yet started due to the negligence of the authorities and lack of proper steps. If the initiative to build the dam is not taken soon, Kamalnagar will be swallowed up by the river.
The day after being elected as a member of parliament from the Grand Alliance of the 11th National Parliament, he met with leaders and activists at Hazirhat Bazaar and assured them that river erosion work would be prevented in a road meeting.
Earlier in 2014, the government allocated Tk 198 crore for the Meghna River bank protection dam. With the allocated money, one kilometer of dam in Kamalnagar, three and a half kilometers in Ramgatir Alexander and one kilometer in Ramgatirhat Masghat area were 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 completed three and a half kilometers.
Meanwhile, Narayanganj Dockyard Engineering Limited got a one-kilometer work in Kamalnagar for Tk 48 crore of that allocation. Two years after the allocation of money, the company started work with Western Engineering in early 2016. That year, the work was stopped due to pressure from the locals because it started work with low-quality sand and geo bags. At that time, the local people formed a human chain to protest the irregularities and demand proper work. Later, although one kilometer of work was done despite irregularities, the dam collapsed eight times in one and a half years.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Ramgati-Kamalagar river bank protection dam at a public meeting in Lakshmipur on March 14, 2017. At that time, she assured of the second phase of work. Locals expect that the second phase of work will begin soon to prevent erosion.
