Embankment under threat

With the Dhalai and Laghata rivers raging with floodwaters in recent days around 3,000 families in ten villages of Kamalganj municipality in Moulvibazar district live in constant fear that their houses will be washed away if damaged embankments collapse.

"I haven't slept in days from fear of the embankment collapsing," says Jalal Ahmed, 45, from affected Gupalnagor village. "The men in our village are taking turns to guard the embankment every night."

His neighbour Nasir Uddin has taken shelter on the embankment with his family out of deep concern. Villagers fear that if immediate embankment repairs are not undertaken immediately, with the river flowing at dangerously high levels their entire village can be devoured.

"There are five points including near Hiramoti and Shukur Ullah Gaon villages where embankments face particular risk," says Pushpo Kumar Kanu, the chairman of Madhabpur union which straddles the Dhalai.

Indeed throughout Kamalganj municipality there are twenty points along both rivers where damaged embankments are at significant risk of collapse. Rain and river water has already destroyed at least 60 hectares of crops.

"For the last few years we haven't been able to cultivate our farmland due to contamination by saltwater which covers the unprotected area during the monsoon months," says Modorish Miah, a farmer from Gupalnagor village.

In Kumrakapon village where, according to former local councillor Mujibur Rahman, thirteen houses have been washed away in the past due to collapsed embankments, the situation is desperate. "People are leaving," he says. "We are living in a constant state of panic."

Kamalganj mayor Md Jewel Ahmed says the municipality does not have a large budget to devote to embankment repair. "Farmers are experiencing significant losses to their vegetable and Aus paddy crops," he says, "due to unrestrained floodwaters. We have requested flood control measures to be given priority in the past but without result."

"Immediate steps are needed not only for farmers but to save villages," he adds.

Project implementation officer in Kamalganj, Md Ashaduzzaman agrees. "I visited some of the vulnerable embankment points with Moulvibazar's water development board executive engineer," he says. "They need repairing urgently."

"We have no budget for immediate repairs," says the aforementioned executive engineer, Md Foizur Rob. "With respect to repairing vulnerable embankment points along the Dhalai and Laghata Riviers we have sent a letter to higher authorities seeking their support as a matter of priority."

In the meantime, with the start of embankment collapse already reported in three villages a week ago and no remedial action underway by local authorities, villagers across Kamalganj municipality can only wait in the hope of better weather and the return of safer times.