Tk 80 Million Kabirpur Bridge Swept Away by the Padma River
Anwar Zahid
The Padma has finally swallowed the Kabirpur Bridge in Ward 4 of North Channel Union in Faridpur. The bridge was built six years ago at a cost of Tk 8 crore. It was a 40 metre bridge built by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The trouble began early on the day before yesterday, and the bridge fell into the river yesterday at about 7:30 in the morning.
People came from far away to see the sight with their own eyes. The bridge was the dream of the very poor people of four chars. The news also went viral on the Facebook pages of many people.
The visit to the site showed that the bridge stood in the Kabirpur area of Ward 4 in North Channel Union. It linked Azmat Ali Mondal’s Dangi, Montaz Madbor’s Dangi and Adarsha village of Faridpur. On the other side lie Selimpur, Joypur, Natunhat, Gangabardi, Hariharadia, Patgram and Natakhola. These villages are in Lechhraganj Union of Harirampur upazila in Manikganj.
At least two to three thousand people from 8 to 10 villages of the two unions used this bridge every day. The main stream of the Padma flows on the east side of the bridge, in the Manikganj part. Another branch of the river flowed on the west side, through the Faridpur part. The bridge stood on the char between these two streams.
The LGED built the bridge to give people special ease of travel. It cost Tk 7 crore 96 lakh in the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year. The bridge was 40 metres long and 12 feet wide. The mighty Padma has now swallowed it.
North Channel Union chairman Mr. Haji Mohammad Mofazzal Hossain told Inqilab that erosion began in the area two months ago. Ward 4 union parishad member Mr. Mostafa Hossain said the same. They said the erosion grew very strong in the last 15 days, and it broke the bridge. The road on the east side of the bridge began to fall into the river four days ago. Yesterday at about 7:30 in the morning, the bridge fell fully into the river, along with its east side.
Mr. Mostafa Hossain and BNP worker Mr. Md. Naeem Uddin said the erosion of the last two months took 50 homes in Adarsha village. It also took the homesteads of 200 more families, so 250 homes in all are gone. At least 825 bigha of farmland has also gone into the river.
Former North Channel Union chairman Mr. Mostakuzzaman Mostak said the soil under the piles on the east side of the bridge washed away. This made the bridge sink into the river. He said the Water Development Board dropped sandbags to save the bridge, but this did not help.
Faridpur Sadar upazila executive officer (UNO) Ms. Meshkatul Jannat Rabeya said the deputy commissioner and the executive engineer of the Water Development Board visited the site many times after the erosion began. She said sandbags were dropped over a 150 metre stretch to save the bridge. But the erosion ran across at least one and a half kilometres, so the bridge could not be saved. She added that no strong step could be taken to protect the bridge during this monsoon.
Faridpur LGED executive engineer Mr. Mohammad Azharul Islam said such erosion has not been seen in the area in the last 35 years. Local people say the river is going back to its old place as it erodes the land.
Faridpur Water Development Board executive engineer Mr. Rakib Hossain said the Padma has two streams, one on each side of the bridge. He said both streams are eroding the land. The LGED built the bridge in the middle of the char. He said the river has eaten at least 500 metres inland, and the erosion runs across 1,300 metres.
He said no step can be taken now to stop the erosion. When the water level falls, a team of experts will come, and the next step will follow their advice.
The Faridpur deputy commissioner is visiting the site to see the severe Padma erosion, the lost road and the Kabirpur Bridge. He confirmed to Inqilab that the district administration is arranging cash help, dry food and shelter for nearly 300 families hit by the erosion.
