With the sudden recession of water level in the Jamuna a large portion of the crossbar to protect the Sirajganj town protection embankment eroded in Sirajganj Sadar upazila yesterday. 

Sudden fall in water level caused the erosion at Mollabari point,  Water Development Board (WDB) officials said, adding that repair work of the damaged portion is going on to protect the crossbar.

Sirajganj WDB Sub Assistant Engineer Ranjit Kumar Sarker said about 50 metre area of the newly built crossbar, constructed to protect the town protection embankment, was eroded with the water level in the Jamuna going down in the last couple of days.

“Due to fall in water level ground soil underneath the embankment must have been displaced, resulting in fresh erosion,” Ranjit said.

Sirajganj WDB built the crossbar at the hard point, two kilometres downstream, of the town protection embankment at a cost of Tk 80 crore in June 2017.

“Dumping of sandbags has already brought the erosion under control,” the WDB engineer said.

According to the WDB officials in Sirajganj, if the crossbar is further damaged it would affect the town protection embankment badly.

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sarkar Mohammad Raihan said they have talked to the WDB officials and asked them to take necessary measures to save the embankment from further damage.

“WDB officials assured us that there is nothing to be worried as they have already started repair work of the damaged portion of the crossbar,” the UNO said.