Sarker Shariful Islam, Rajshahi
Cracks have been developed in some parts of the Rajshahi City Protection Embankment due to non-repair, absence of proper supervision and illegal occupation of the embankment areas for a long time. Due to strong current of water in the river, pressure on the city protection embankment has been increased as erosion was making some points vulnerable.
However, in many parts, city embankment has been occupied by local people. They erected establishments, shops, ghats and places for sitting just on the embankment. As a result, if no eviction of those illegal structures are made within a short time and no repair of vulnerable points of the embankment is done within a short time, the entire ‘City of Peace and Education’ would be devoured by the river Padma.
According to eyewitnesses, starting from Rajshahi Policeline to Bulanpur Ghosepara and Bulanpur of Keshobpur, some local people have occupied places of the embankment. They have constructed shanties, kitchen, toilets and even shops and made shops on the embankment. On the other hand from Panchoboti to Mohaldarpara, ferry ghats, shops and illegal houses have been established.
Local people living beside the embankment, however, said they failed to shift anywhere due to sudden rise in water of the river Padma. Most of them were also landless that is why they were forced to live beside the river Padma and even made cook house, toilets and arrangement to seat on the embankment site.
It is learnt, the Rajshahi Town (City) Protection Embankment was established in 1856 during the British rule. From Bulanpur to Police line area, the embankment is highly vulnerable and any short of movement or establishment on this area during the rainy season should be completely stopped and removed during this time, informed sources working with the embankment protection.
Syed Shahidul Alam, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board in Rajshahi informed, there are some limitations regarding illegal evictions from some areas of city protection embankment. Specially, Bulanpur area of the embankment is controlled by Rajshahi district administration.
He further added, WDB had planned to start eviction drive from the embankment but failed to start that because of a sudden rise in water of the river Padma. Considering human suffering and humanity, the eviction drive was kept suspended during this time. However, he assured, the eviction drive would start within 15-day of decrease of water of the river.