Home ›› 09 Oct 2022 ›› Nation
Allegations of irregularities in implementing a riverbank protection project in Lalmonirhat have been raised against the officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB).
Due to the irresponsibility and mismanagement of the WDB officials, while implementing the Teesta riverbank protection project at Purbo Kalmati village under Khuniagach union in Lalmonirhat Sadar, the sand-filled geo bags dumped on the riverbank had been washed away within a month, alleged the local people.
Many villagers alleged that the geo bags were not only filled with a small amount of sand, but the number of bags dumped hurriedly on the riverside was inadequate also to protect the bank from erosion. Despite repeated complaints, the WDB officials did not pay hid to the objection of the locals.
Monnaf Ali, 55, of Purbo Kalmati village, said, “Geo bags filled with a small amount of sand and dumped on the riverbank have been washed away by the current of the river. The number of bags was less than the estimate mentioned in the work schedule.”
“The Teesta has devoured my homestead and croplands. My family is now living on another piece of land by the riverside, passing days amid severe hardships,” he said, adding, “I am afraid of losing my last piece of property to the river.”
Another villager Ayesha Begum, 60, also echoed the same allegation. She said, “There were irregularities and corruption in the implementation of the riverbank protection programme through dumping geo bags.”
Khuniagach UP Chairman ASM Khairuzzaman Mondol said the number of geo bags dumped on the riverbank is insufficient to prevent river erosion.
But the sub-divisional engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB, Abdul Quader, categorically rejected the allegations. He said, “Some 5,500 geo bags had been dumped on Teesta riverbank at Purbo Kalmati village on an emergency basis at a cost of Tk 30 lakh. It has successfully stopped the river erosion in the area.’
Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB Mizanur Rahman said, “The dumping of all the geo bags has not been finished yet. A few geo bags have been washed away due to the rising water level in the river. New bags will be dumped soon at the spot.
Claiming that river erosion in the area has been prevented temporarily after the dumping of geo bags, he said the WDB is planning for a permanent solution to stop erosion.
In reply to a query over the irregularities in implementing the project, he denied the allegations of mismanagement and irresponsibility in performing duties.
According to media reports published a few months ago, nearly 150 families residing in the riverbank area of Teesta at Khuniagachh village, are living in fear of losing their homesteads and croplands after a flood protection dam, renovated by the WDB just 10 months ago, already collapsed.
The villagers also questioned the quality of WDB’s work as the renovated dam collapsed even before starting of this year’s rainy season. They alleged that had the flood protection dam been repaired properly last year, it would not have collapsed so quickly.
Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Parishad Chairman Kamruzzaman Sujan inspected the collapsed dam with the executive engineer of WDB. “The WDB authorities have been urged to speed up the renovation work of the dam that collapsed after last year’s renovation,” he said, adding that the WDB authorities have assured him that the dam would be repaired completely before the next year’s flood.
In this regard, WDB engineer Mizanur Rahman said that after inspecting the badly damaged dam, a letter had been sent to the water resources ministry seeking allocation for the renovation of the dam.
