Vast areas at Dumuria flooded for dam breach

DUMURIA, KHULNA, July 12: A major embankment built as part of an ongoing river dredging project collapsed in Dumuria Upazila of Khulna on Saturday, inundating vast areas of Khornia Union and causing extensive damage to homes, croplands and fish enclosures.

The breach occurred near Mary Brickfield in Ranai Village under Ward No. 2 of Khornia Union, according to local sources.

The collapse allowed a strong surge of saline river water to enter nearby villages, damaging numerous homes, particularly those of low-income families, and disrupting the lives and livelihoods of local residents.

Following the incident, the Dumuria Upazila administration launched an emergency response. Acting on its instructions, members of the Bangladesh Army rushed to the site to reduce water pressure and assist efforts to repair the damaged embankment.

Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Nazmul Huda said several hundred acres of vegetable fields and standing crops had been submerged.

He said field officials had begun assessing the damage and would prepare a list of affected farmers to facilitate government assistance and agricultural rehabilitation.

The fisheries sector also suffered heavy losses as floodwater spread rapidly towards the Bill Shingar area, threatening hundreds of fish enclosures.

Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Sohel Md Zillur Rahman Rigan said hundreds of fish farms in Ranai and adjoining areas had already gone under water, causing substantial financial losses to fish farmers.

He said officials had advised farmers to install protective nets around fish enclosures to prevent fish from escaping while damage assessments were being carried out.

Dumuria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sabita Sarkar said the administration coordinated immediately with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and other relevant agencies after receiving reports of the breach.

She said the Army responded promptly and preparations for relief distribution and rehabilitation of affected families were already underway.

An executive engineer of the BWDB said the embankment might have collapsed due to excessive water pressure or technical factors associated with the ongoing river dredging work.

He said geo-bags, earthmoving equipment and manpower had been deployed to carry out permanent repairs.

Local residents said the swift response by the authorities helped prevent the situation from worsening, although many families had already suffered significant losses.