20-metre of embankment collapses in Tangail

A portion of an embankment has gone into the Bangshi due to untimely erosion by the river in Fatepur union of Mirzapur upazila, threatening schools, market and other establishments.

As a result, local people are now passing each day in fear as the whole embankment may go into the river anytime.

Haat Fatepur High School, Haat Fatepur Bazar and other establishments including Fatepur union parishad, union land office, a sub health centre, a madrasa and Fatepur-Mohera-Mirzapur road lie beside the river.

If emergency protective measures are not taken by the authorities immediately, the river may devour those establishments anytime, said villagers.

In the 2013-2014 fiscal year, Water Development Board (WDB) constructed a 165-metre guide embankment at a cost of Tk 2 crore to protect the area from the river erosion.

Yasin Ali, night guard of Haat Fatepur High School, said 20-metre stretch of the embankment collapsed near the school on Sunday night.

Farid Hossain, headmaster of the school, said he informed the executive engineer of the Tangail WDB the following day about the matter and requested him to take necessary measures to protect the institution from the erosion.

 "We have also informed the matter to the upazila administration and urged them to take immediate measures to protect the school, market and other establishments in the area from the untimely erosion," said Abdul Gafur Shikder, president of the managing committee of Haat Fatepur High School.

Mirzapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Hafizur Rahman said necessary protective measures will be taken as early as possible following discussion with the WDB and higher authorities.

Mohammad Sirajul Islam, executive engineer of WDB in Tangail, said an assistant engineer has already visited the spot. Emergency protective measures will be taken immediately.