Kurigram Correspondent:

The collapse of a section of the Brahmaputra River’s right bank protection embankment has put the entire Chilmari upazila in Kurigram district at renewed risk of flooding and riverbank erosion.

Concrete blocks along nearly 150 metres of the embankment at Kachkol and Soroktari areas have been sliding into the river since Wednesday night, triggering panic among riverside residents as erosion worsens.

Locals fear that without immediate emergency measures, a larger section could give way, exposing not only the villages but also Chilmari town and surrounding areas to severe flooding.

Residents said blocks are collapsing daily, raising concerns over the embankment’s stability. For years, the structure had protected them from annual floods, but with its condition deteriorating, many are spending sleepless nights.

They alleged that despite informing the upazila administration, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and local representatives, no effective action has yet been taken.

“This is not just the Brahmaputra’s right bank protection embankment. It is the lifeline of Chilmari,” said Angur Hossain, a 60-year-old farmer from Kachkol.

“If it collapses, not only villages but Chilmari town will also face devastating floods and erosion. Immediate action is essential.”

Another resident, Meher Jamal, 50, said: “We are living in constant fear. Sand-filled geobags need to be placed immediately to stop the erosion. We have informed the Water Development Board, but no effective initiative is visible.”

River shoal dwellers stressed that temporary repairs would not be enough during the monsoon and demanded a long-term solution. They warned that unless permanent measures are taken, the crisis will recur every year.

Rakibul Hasan, executive engineer of the Kurigram Water Development Board, said preparations were underway to place sand-filled geobags at the damaged section as an emergency measure. He admitted the embankment had engineering shortcomings when it was built, leading to recurring problems, and said reconstruction or major repair work was planned during the dry season.

Chilmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmudul Hasan described the embankment as “the lifeline of Chilmari” and said emergency work to contain erosion would begin without delay.