The work of a river bank protection dyke, 1,650 metre long in total on Sumeshwari river in Netrakona district is in progress. This dam is to protect the people living on the banks of the river. The dyke made of geo bags, costing Tk 8 crore 87 lakh, is being built in Durgapur upazila of Netrakona under Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
According to locals, every year during the monsoon river erosion continues on both banks of Sumeshwari river due to strong currents. Areas on both sides of the river including Boheratali, Kullagara, Vulipara, Dakumara, Beltali, Shibganj, Farangpara and Baraikandi are getting severely affected by the erosion.
In this situation, the people of the river erosion prone area have been repeatedly appealing to the local people's representatives, the administration and the higher authorities of the government to protect their land and houses. In this context, Netrakona BWDB has taken necessary steps to protect the people of erosion prone areas of Netrokona as well as to prevent river erosion.
According to Netrakona BWDB, in order to prevent river erosion, they are continuing the construction of the river bank protection dam at a cost of Tk 8 crore 87 lakh under 6 packages by throwing geo bags into the river.
Out of total 1,650 metre, 300 meters of dam is being built from Beheratali to Kullagarh Union Land Office at a cost of Tk 1.78 crore, 300 meters adjacent to Ideal School in Ward 9 of Durgapur Municipality at Tk 1.43, 250 metres from Dakumara Beltali in Ward 8 of Durgapur Municipality to Shibganj Bazar at Tk 1.26 crore, 300 meters from Kullagara Union Land Office to Bhulipara at Tk 1.72 crore, 250 meters from Border Pillar to Farangpara at Tk 1.6 crore and 300 meters of dam is being built from Kullagara to Baraikandi Mission School at a cost of Tk 1.62 crore.
Mintu Risil, a resident of a small ethnic group in the Barikandi area, said their houses had to be evacuated several times due to river erosion.
The government is trying to build a river bank protection dyke by dropping geo-bags to prevent erosion but they urge the government to build permanent river protection dams.
Primary school teacher Tusirama Sangma, a resident of a small ethnic group, said, “I urge the officials of the Water Development Board to carry out proper responsibilities and regular monitoring to make the river bank protection dam sustainable.”
In this regard, ML Saikat, Executive Engineer of Netrakona BWDB, said that dams are being constructed on both banks of the Sumeshwari River after receiving geo-bags from the government in response to the demand of the locals.
The work is being monitored regularly. No negligence of the contractor in the construction of the dam will be tolerated. The Geo Bag dyke is no less than a permanent dam. More dams will be constructed in the river erosion prone areas in phases, he added.