While addressing the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to speedily repair the embankments damaged by tropical cyclone ‘Remal’ that lashed the country’s coastal belt on Monday. The embankments must be repaired rapidly as monsoon is approaching.
The cyclonic storm has wreaked a havoc in the coastal districts of the country, destroying 50,000 homesteads, uprooting trees and electric poles. Tidal surge caused by the cyclone has inundated vast area of the Sundarbans and caused damage to the embankments. Lakhs of people have been living at risk along the coast in Satkhira, Khulna, Bagherhat, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Borguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar and their offshore islands
When the water level rise, low-lying areas of the coastal districts are flooded and water enters homes, putting them in utter miseries. Since the late spring, panic has started gripping the coastal people as they fear tidal surge caused by storms may inunadate their houses.
Many points at the 5,757 kilometre embankment constructed in the costal bels in 1960’s have been damaged due to tidal surges, floods and heavy downpour since the country’s independence in 1971. Besides, the embankments have developed cracks at different points, causing worries for the coastal people. During the storm , heavy rains and high tide breach embankments, submerge the habitats, wash away fish farms, shrimp enclosures and damage crop lands in low-lying area of the coastal belt.
The existing embankments are low and vulnerable to collapse as they overflow during high tide and trigger flooding in the residential areas. During storms and tidal surges, the suffering of locals in these areas know no bounds.
The embankments have
developed cracks at different
points, causing worries for
the coastal people.
As per the prime minister’s directives, the authorities concerned must repair the fragile embankments and build sustainable dams in the coastal belt immediately as flooding looms in the upcoming rainy season. There are around 482 kilometres of embankment in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat.
A little water pressure can collapse the dams in the monsoon at around 200 points – causing losses of life and livelihood. Lives of people and properties under threat due to these existing embankments.
The government must repair the embankments damaged by cyclonic storms on an emergency basis. Sustainable embankment is the need of the time.
Construction of a permanent climate-tolerant sustainable embankment, having and height of 30 feet and width of 100 feet on the ground and 30 feet on the top, considering climate change and natural calamities in the region is a must right now. We think the government will arrange emergency funds and engage local governments for the maintenance of the embankments.
The government will also have to enforce a ban on making shrimp or crab enclosures within 100 metres of the embankments immediately. The coastal people’s lives and livelihoods largely depend on embankments. The people of the region need sustainable embankments rather than food support. The government will also have to ensure participatory embankment construction with the collaboration of the local authorities. Earlier, the government undertook four projects to construct sustainable embankments in the southwestern part of the country. Due to the lack of proper design and embankments, the coastal area remains fully unprotected. Embankments will have to be built in those areas on emergency to protect the coastal area.
