A large crack has developed on the flood control embankment near Jhinai river in Kalihati upazila due to heavy rain for over a week, threatening over 100 acres of croplands of several adjacent villages in the upazila.

Local people fear that the embankment may collapse at any moment and wash away the adjacent croplands at Rameshwar Kamarthi, Bhuiyan Kamarthi, Charan, Kustia and Bailanpur villages.

Tangail Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Shajahan Siraj said the 47 kilometre Charan-Lakkhibasa flood control embankment was built in the '90s to save the adjacent croplands.

Due to heavy rain for the last few days around 20 metres of the flood control embankment at Rameshwar Kamarthi village got damaged, Mohammad Haider Ali of the village said.

"I have 60 decimals of land near the embankment and I run my family with the income from selling the crops. I won't be able to maintain our livelihood if the embankment collapses," he said.

"We have standing crops on the fields beside the embankment and we have to maintain our family from the income that comes from the crops," said Raina Moti, wife of Abdul Jalil of the village.

Farmer Sohel Miah of the village said erosion also hit the embankment last year and villagers checked the erosion by erecting corrugated tin-made fence and dumping sand bags.

Like the previous year, villagers are passing their days in fear due to the cracks that have developed on the embankment this year as well, he added.  

Locals checked the erosion through their own efforts on three previous occasions, Hasmot Ali of the village said.  

The important embankment has been facing erosion threat due to mindless sand lifting by a section of local influential people, he alleged.

WDB Executive Engineer Shajahan Siraj said he has already directed an assistant engineer to visit the area and report its present condition.