Panic has gripped residents of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram following fresh landslides and cracks along the Brahmaputra right bank protection embankment in the Kanchkol Road area. As the monsoon season progresses, the structural damage threatens nearby villages with severe river erosion and flooding.
Field observations reveal that block pitching has collapsed in three separate sections measuring 10, 12 and 6 meters across a half-kilometer stretch of the dam. Additionally, cracks have emerged in at least ten locations leaving an estimated one-kilometer area highly vulnerable to river surges.
Built at a cost of Tk 448 crore, the embankment has suffered recurring damage since 2018. Locals expressed deep frustration over the authorities' failure to implement a permanent solution.
"After the dam was built, we thought we were finally safe from river erosion," said Md. Khatib Uddin, a local resident. "But these repeated collapses have left us terrified again. If the dam breaches, we will lose everything to the floods."
Neighbors Nurjahan Begum and Nur Nahar Begum echoed these anxieties, sharing that the monsoon season brings sleepless nights for riverside families. They urged the government to take immediate and durable measures to protect their homes and agricultural lands.
Md. Rakibul Hasan, Executive Engineer of the Kurigram Water Development Board (WDB), officially confirmed the structural damage on Thursday. He assured the public that emergency repair work is already underway, with workers continuously dumping sand-filled geo-bags at the vulnerable spots to stabilize the structure.
The Water Development Board expects the embankment to be fully secured and risk-free within the next two days.
