Wednesday | 15 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Wednesday | 15 January 2025 | Epaper

Three embankments collapse in Cumilla, Khulna

Thousands marooned, croplands submerged

Published : Saturday, 24 August, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 132
Countryside Desk
 
The Gumti River embankment in Burichang Upazila of Cumilla and Panikhali and WAPDA embankments in Dacope and Paikgachha upazilas respectively of Khulna were collapsed due to excessive rainfall and heavy tides on Thursday that affected thousands of people, inundating several villages, fish enclosures and croplands. 

CUMILLA: Hundreds of families have been affected by the flood water after the the flood protection embankment along the Gumti River in Cumilla has collapsed due to excessive rainfall and water inflow from India on Thursday night.
The authorities concern said that the dam collapsed in Buraburia area under Sholnall Union in Burichang Upazila of the district at around 11:45 pm.

Cumilla Water Development Board's Executive Engineer Khan Mohammad Waliuzzaman on Friday said that following the fall of the dam, water began to inundate local areas that affected hundreds of families.

He informed that water had been seeping through the dam since the last evening, and despite local efforts to manage the situation using sandbags, the dam ultimately gave in around midnight with at least 300 feet of the structure collapsing.

Responding to the situation, Burichang Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saida Akhter said that several unions including Sholnall, Pirjatrapur, Sadar and others under the upazila are getting affected by the flood.

She informed that they alerted locals to take refuge considering the situation.

Meanwhile, the officials from the Water Development Board informed that the water level of the Gumti River had been flowing above the danger level by 113 centimetres on Thursday afternoon, which broke the 27-year record, indicating an unprecedented flood risk in the region.

In 1997, the river had exceeded the danger level by 96 centimetres. The recent surge in water levels has broken all previous records. 

KHULNA: Several villages, fish enclosures and croplands were inundated by the heavy tides in Dacope and Paikgachha upazilas respectively of Khulna after the river embankments collapsed.

The Panikhali embankment in Dacope Upazila collapsed inundating fish farms and villages. Similarly, in Paikgachha's Diluhti Union, the WAPDA embankment also gave in allowing water to enter residential areas.

Local sources said that at around 1 pm on Thursday, the WAPDA embankment at the southern end of the 22nd Polder in Kalinagar under Diluhti Union broke apart due to the high tide.

This breach, extending over 300 feet, has flooded the villages of Kalinagar, Horinkhola and Darunmallik. Recently planted paddies and seedbeds, along with houses, have been submerged.

Despite efforts by locals to repair the dam until midnight, the repairs have been largely unworkable due to heavy currents.
Moreover, the Shibsa River's strong currents have caused collapses of the Panikhali embankment in Dacope, resulting in flooding in several villages and fish enclosures.

On the other hand, nonstop downpour throughout the night has also led to severe water-logging in Khulna City, with major roads in areas such as Tutpara, Boyra, Nirala, Maulavipara, and Baytipara submerged and rendered impassable.

Khulna District administration informed that the Water Development Board has begun renovation work on the damaged embankments.



LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Man fined Tk 1.5 lakh for illegal hill cutting 
80 lakh people die annually due to tobacco consumption: Reports 
Road mishaps claim seven lives in six districts
Appeal for help! 
Carp fish cultivation creates revolution in Rajshahi 
3,850 cold-hit people get winter clothes in three districts
9 brick kilns fined Tk 28 lakh at Gurudaspur 
Three bodies recovered in B'baria, Manikganj 
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: district@dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close