A sense of dread grips the banks of the Naodoba area in Jajira, Shariatpur, as the impending monsoon threatens to undo a decade’s worth of protective efforts around Bangladesh’s most iconic infrastructure project.
Fresh erosion has struck the Padma Bridge project site with alarming force, leaving the vital protective embankment at Naodoba in Jajira teetering dangerously on the brink.
Officials and residents alike warn that unless urgent measures are taken before the monsoon arrives, the consequences could be catastrophic – not only for the embankment, but for entire communities living in its shadow.
“The situation is critical,” admitted Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Executive Engineer (Shariatpur WD Board) Tareq Hasan.“Nearly one kilometre of the riverbed has deepened significantly, destabilising the embankment. If we cannot reinforce it in time, Service Area-2, the army camp, Padma Bridge South Police Station, a primary school, Mongol Majhi and Sattar Madbor markets, roads and hundreds of families could all be at risk.”
Constructed nearly a decade ago by the Bridges Division at a staggering cost of Tk 110 crore, the nearly two-kilometre-long embankment was meant to safeguard the Padma Bridge project site, he mentioned.
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Yet now, the ever-shifting Padma River has once again risen to challenge that.
A visit to the area revealed that at least five to six different points along the embankment have seen sandy soil crumble and collapse into the Padma’s restless waters, with rows of geo-bags intended to protect the embankment lying dislodged and scattered, washed away by the mighty current.
A joint survey by the BWDB and Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) paints a grim picture.
In nearly one kilometre of the area, the river has deepened dangerously close to the embankment, causing soil erosion from the riverbed.
In the remaining stretch of one kilometre, the Padma has crept perilously close to the embankment, with erosion continuing unabated. As a result, the entire structure now stands vulnerable.
The Padma creeps ever closer, with fears mounting that large sections of the embankment could be lost when water levels rise with the monsoon.
Shubho Tara (45), a resident of Achimuddin Madbor’s Kandi, stands on what remains of her family’s land, staring into the swirling waters that have already swallowed generations of memories.
“The Padma has taken everything – our homes, our lands, our dreams,” she said, her voice trembling.
“We rebuilt, again and again, but every year it comes back stronger. Now, cracks are appearing near the embankment.”
The warning signs had been there. Last November, nearly 100 metres of the embankment vanished into the river at Naodoba Zero Point, according to the BWDB and BBA survey.
Although BWDB was alerted, repairs were delayed for months.
Emergency restoration finally began just days ago, on 25 April, using sand-filled geo-bags and concrete blocks at a cost of Tk 2.87 crore.
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When asked about why immediate action was not taken at the time, local BWDB officials provided no clear explanation.
Now, as the clock ticks down to the rainy season, a frantic push is underway.
A Development Project Proposal (DPP) has been hurriedly sent to the concerned ministry, seeking approval to undertake large-scale reinforcements, according to Tareq Hasan.
However, even if greenlighted today, officials admit it would be impossible to fully complete the work before the monsoon peaks.
BWDB officials such as Sub-Assistant Engineer Suman Kumar Banik remain hopeful but cautious.
“We have submitted the project proposal and are awaiting approval. If it comes soon, we will start emergency work immediately,” he said, adding that full protection will not be possible this monsoon.
“It will take until the next rainy season to complete,” he mentioned.
Beyond technical reports and frantic paperwork, it is the riverside residents who bear the daily brunt of the erosion’s fury.
Hundreds of homes now perch precariously close to the river’s edge, their foundations trembling.
“Every night when the wind howls, we cannot sleep. We just pray that by morning, our home is still here,” added Shubho Tara.
As the sun dips behind the Padma, its restless waters lap hungrily at the banks. And now, with the first rains beginning to fall, hundreds like Tara, living in fear, stand still – holding their breath against the river’s relentless, consuming pull.
With additional inputs from Julfekar Dehan