Town protection embankment in bad shape
The town protection embankment is in bad shape due to lack of maintenance. Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder
Lack of proper maintenance puts the town protection embankment in bad shape, posing a threat to life and properties in the coastal areas of the port city. Experts said displacement of earth in the bottom during the tidal surge is causing breach in the embankment at many points. This may lead to a severe disaster claiming life and properties during any cyclonic storm in the low-lying coastal areas and repeat a devastating cyclone the city dwellers witnessed on April 29 in 1991. Apart from this, seepage of saline water through the worn out embankment might cause loss of fertility of the croplands in the coastal areas, said Assistant Professor Mohammad Shahadat Hossain of Institute of Marine Science and Fisheries at Chittagong University. Besides, at present the sea is rising three to four feet higher than what used to be during the high tide 10 to 12 years ago. “If increase in the sea level remains constant, it would be a matter of great concern for us,” said Shahadat, who is doing research on mitigating impacts of climate change with the help of British Council. “After breach in the embankment saline water would replace the fresh water destroying the aquatic animals, mainly the fishes, apart from damaging the grassy land in the locality,” he said. Sources said the breach has developed at least at 20 points of the 21.70 kilometre embankment stretching from city's Naval Academy to Fouzdarhat coastal area under Sitakunda upazila due to repeated upsurges during depressions in the sea. The condition of the embankment is very bad in the Patenga, Halishahar and Kattali areas. Huge portions at Khenjurtal, Narikel Tala, Ananda Bazar beach and the area adjacent to Patenga sea beach have already been taken away by the sea. Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Ward Commissioner Mohammad Joynal Abedin said the sea damaged the Ulka Ghati of Bangladesh Navy and Char Para on the south of his ward seriously that need immediate repair to save life and properties in the locality. He said they have informed in vain the matter to Water Development Board (WDB), Chittagong deputy commissioner and acting mayor for immediate measure in this regard. Sources at WDB said no massive repair work was done on the embankment after the cyclone 'Sidr' damaged the coastal area on November 15 last year. Besides, several cyclonic storms and the latest 'Reshmi' accompanied by tidal upsurge damaged the embankment seriously, said the sources. WDB Operation and Maintenance Division-1 Sub Assistant Engineer Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain said they have identified four points on the embankment damaged hugely while 16 points affected by the cyclonic surges more or less in recent times. He said a tender for a Tk 2.15 crore project for its repair has been floated in this regard. WDB Acting Executive Engineer Ashraf Jamal said selecting the bidders to implement the project is under process and work will start within shortest possible time. It is one of the embankments built in mid-sixties under the then Coastal Embankment project in the Patenga, Halishahar and Kattali areas with the financial assistance of USAID. The project was completed in 1970 that began in 1965. Cyclones of 1970, 1985, 1988 and 1991 caused widespread devastation of infrastructures, loss of human lives and properties in the embankment area. Later on, repair was conducted during 1992 to 1996 under the Coastal Embankment Rehabilitation Programme with the financial assistance of World Bank at a cost of Tk 113 crore.
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