A large number of cracks have developed at different points of the embankments constructed to protect the coastal people from cyclonic storm, tidal surge and flood in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar districts. Around 37km of the 130km-long embankment from Pukuria to Chanua in Banshkhali upazila have been damaged at many points, according to media reports.
The vulnerable embankment are no longer capable of protecting the coastal areas from the natural disasters. Coastal people on Monday recalled the horrifying memories and frightful moments of the devastating cyclonic storm and tidal surge of April 29, 1991.
Coastal people urged the authorities concerned to immediately take measures to protect the coastal belt and start massive tree plantation at the coastal belt, reconstruction of embankments and cyclone centres in different coastal areas to save millions of coastal people from the natural disasters like cyclone, tsunami and tidal surge. People of greater Chattogram region, particularly the country's coastal belts, are still being haunted by the frightening memories as they lost their near and dear ones in the horrible cyclone.
Nearly two lakh people of the coastal upazilas, mostly from Banshkhali, Anwara, Chakaria, Sandwip and Kutubdia died and millions were rendered homeless on this day in 1991. Since the arrival of storm season, panic starts gripping the coastal people as they fear high tidal surge caused by strong cyclonic storm breaching the risky embankment can leave their region a trail of devastation anytime.
Many points at the 5,757km embankments constructed in the costal belts in 1960s of the last century have been damaged due to tidal surges, floods and heavy downpour, especially between the month of April and November since the country’s independence in 1971. Millions of people in the country’s coastal areas are living in constant fear of cyclones and other natural calamities as the embankments built in the Pakistan era have been damaged and no new ones have been constructed since the country’s independence.
Vulnerable embankment are
no longer capable of protecting
the coastal areas from the
natural disasters
Seawater may gush through the collapsed portions of the embankment and maroon villagers if any cyclonic storm hits the coastal belt. Coastal people fear that the damage to the embankment would bring more miseries if it was not rebuilt before the rainy season.
During the storm heavy rains and high tide breach embankments, submerge the habitats, wash away fish farms, shrimp enclosures and damage crop lands in low-lying areas of the coastal belt.
Construction of a permanent climate-tolerant sustainable embankment with 30-feet height and 100-feet width on the ground and 30 feet on the top, taking into account climate change and natural calamities in the region is now a need of the time. The government must arrange emergency funds and engage local governments for the maintenance of the embankments.
Besides, the government will also have to impose a ban on making shrimp or crab enclosures within 100 metres of the embankments immediately. The lives and livelihood of coastal people largely depend on embankments and so the people of the region want sustainable embankments. Earlier, the government undertook four projects to construct sustainable embankments in the southwestern part of the country.
Due to lack of appropriate design, embankments built in the coastal area remains fully unprotected, which may cause massive destruction in the coastal belt in coming days during any cyclonic storm or tidal surge.
The government must undertake projects to repair damaged embankments and turn them into sustainable ones as early as possible. Besides, emergency embankments will have to be built in those areas to protect the lives and livelihoods of the coastal people.