The Shahporir Dwip embankment had been in a dilapidated condition for the last three years leading around 5,000 families homeless in Sabrang union under Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
Among 40,000 residents of the island, the families had to take shelter elsewhere because of the delay in repairing the embankment caused by the alleged corruption of the contractor firm and local influential people.
“They are intentionally delaying the process so that the government funds keep flowing in,” said Md Jasim, a resident of Shahporir Dwip.
Around 20,000 people were marooned during high tide that submerged the area during full moon and new moon recently.
Sabrang Union Parishad member Md Abdus Salam told the Dhaka Tribune: “In 1991, a cyclone damaged 200 metre of the embankment near folder number 68 on the southern part of the island. In 1994, another cyclone damaged two kilometres of it and after that, due to the corrupt activities of the contractors, the embankment could not be protected. Since then, the islanders are living with constant fear.”
Guda Ali, a resident of Dakkhinpara village, is currently living in Deil Para area. “Two months ago I had to move here with my family leaving my households in Shahporir Dwip. I also had some cultivable land there. As the embankment was broken, all the households in the area went under water,” said Ali with distress.
Moulvi Abdus Salam, a resident of Poshchimpara village in Shahporir Dwip, who is currently living in Naittongpara in Teknaf, said: “If the embankment is not repaired by the next year, then many would have to leave their homesteads like me. Nothing can be more unfortunate than that.”’
Our Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports, almost five kilometre of the 13.7 kilometre long road that connects Shahporir Dwip and Teknaf were inundated. The islanders have started using boats for communication, however, after evening, even the boats are not sailed. Two students died in accidents while crossing the route on feet.
Locals claimed that influential contractors can derive money if they keep delaying the repair work.
“They will be able to embezzle the money allocated for reconstruction. We have been living in watery areas for the last three years but no one seems to bother. Government allocates crores of funds every year. But contractor firms and local influential gobble up the money,” said Md Jasim.
Sabrang Union Parishad Chairman Hamidur Rahman said although the embankment is being rebuilt by the fund allocated by the Water Development Board, the Bay of Bengal is engulfing it again and again. The island is becoming unguarded because of the corruption of the contractors.
Shahporir Dwip Protection Committee General Secretary Abul Hashem said: “Every year, the residents are losing their homesteads and lands. Hundreds of families are becoming homeless. In the last three years, salt cultivation on around 2,000 acres of land had been on a halt because intrusion of tides.”
According to the Water Development Board, in 1996, Nuruzzaman and Sons, a Dhaka-based contractor firm started building the embankment with mud, sand and stones with Tk80 crore. In 2008, Tk4.42 crore, in 2010 Tk4.75 crore, in 2011 Tk7.21 crore, in 2013 Tk83 lakh and in 2014 Tk55 lakh – a total of Tk97.76 crore was spent on the embankment but still it could not be protected.
Sub-Assistant Engineer of Water Development Board Gias Uddin said: “To build the Shahporir Dwip embankment a Tk106 crore project is waiting for funding by Ecnec [Executive Committee of National Economic Council]. Once it is approved, the work will start.”