Nineteen years after devastating Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh’s southwestern coast, residents of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat continue to live in fear, with 72km of coastal embankments across the three districts now considered vulnerable.
Of the 1,938km of embankments under the Water Development Board (WDB) in the three districts, around 72km are at risk, accounting for nearly 4% of the total. Erosion and cracks have been reported at more than 40 locations.
The situation has heightened concerns among residents of Dacope, Paikgachha and Koyra in Khulna, Assasuni in Satkhira, and Sharankhola in Bagerhat. Many fear that strong river currents and high tides could breach the embankments, inundating homes, farmland and fish enclosures.
Residents say repeated temporary repairs have failed to provide lasting protection. The WDB, however, says emergency repair work is underway and several long-term projects have been taken up to strengthen vulnerable sections.
In Khulna's Dacope upazila, around 50 metres of an embankment in Pankhali village collapsed last week under strong river currents, triggering panic among residents. Cracks have also appeared in adjacent sections, raising fears of further erosion and possible flooding.
Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Ward No 1 in Pankhali, said a major breach could inundate homes, cropland, fish enclosures and other sources of livelihood.
"Every year, we have to live with uncertainty over the embankment. Unless it is rebuilt permanently, a major disaster could occur," he said.
Erosion and cracks have also been reported at at least 10 locations in Dacope, including Jaber's Ferry Ghat, Lakshmikhola, Botbunia and Naldanga.
Laxmi Rani, another resident of Dacope, said rising river levels bring fresh anxiety to the community.
"Whenever cracks appear in the embankment, we fear it could collapse at any moment. If that happens, our homes, farmland and fish enclosures could all go under water. We need strong, permanent embankments instead of repeated temporary repairs," she said.
Dacope Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Borhan Uddin Mithu said vulnerable sections were being monitored and necessary measures were being taken in coordination with the WDB. He stressed that sustainable embankments were essential for the long-term protection of coastal communities.
WDB Bagerhat Executive Engineer Jayanta Pal said work had begun at some of the most vulnerable locations along the Baleshwar River.
At Bogi in Sharankhola, around 500 metres of embankment is being reinforced with sand-filled geobags and concrete blocks.
He said several other locations remained at serious risk and around Tk500 crore would be required to address the erosion problem permanently. A project proposal is being prepared for submission to the relevant authorities.
Of the 238km of embankments in Bagerhat, around 11km are currently vulnerable, including sections previously damaged by Sidr. Pal said changes in the river's course had made even reconstructed sections susceptible to erosion. A feasibility study is underway to prepare a sustainable embankment project.
WDB Executive Engineer Md Rashidur Rahman, responsible for Khulna Division-2, said 25km of the 635km of embankments under his jurisdiction were at risk. Preparations were in place to undertake emergency repairs when necessary.
WDB Executive Engineer Md Ashraful Alam of Khulna Division-1 said around 1.5km of the 385km of embankments under his jurisdiction were vulnerable.
In Satkhira, WDB Division-1 Executive Engineer Md Golam Zakaria said 4km of the 383km of embankments under his jurisdiction were at risk. The eight vulnerable locations include Haradda and Town Sreepur in Sadar, Kaikhali, Harinagar and Biralaxmi in Shyamnagar, and Satbasu, Kharhat and Paranpur in Kaliganj.
WDB Division-2 Executive Engineer Abdur Rahman Tajkia said 30km of the 297km of embankments under his jurisdiction were vulnerable.
The continuing risks have revived painful memories of Sidr, which struck on November 15, 2007, with wind speeds of around 240km per hour. The super cyclone devastated homes, crops, trees, livestock, infrastructure and coastal embankments across the southwestern region.
Official figures put the death toll at around 3,000. Sharankhola in Bagerhat, adjacent to the Sundarbans, was among the worst-hit areas, with 908 people reported dead.
Unofficial estimates suggest the death toll in Bagerhat could have reached nearly 2,000, including fishermen who went missing from the fishing settlements at Dubla Char in the Sundarbans.
The cyclone also devastated large parts of the mangrove forest, killing Royal Bengal tigers, deer and other wildlife. More than 10,000 fishermen were staying at five fishing settlements in Dubla Char during the peak dry-fish production season. Many were never found.
Although around 62km of elevated embankments were subsequently built at a cost of nearly Tk300 crore, concerns over their durability persist.
Along the Baleshwar River, a 20km section was constructed in vulnerable areas stretching from Bogi in Sharankhola to Fasiatala in Morelganj. However, significant erosion has emerged less than three years after the embankments were handed over.
Of the 25km riverbank protection structure along the Baleshwar, around 13km of the main embankment has reportedly suffered severe erosion.
Solaiman Khan of Bogi, Maleka Begum of Southkhali and Shah Alam of Gabtola, who lost relatives and property to Sidr, said November still brings back memories of that devastating night.
They said a higher and stronger embankment could have prevented much of the destruction and saved hundreds of lives.
Although elevated embankments have since been built, they argue that the absence of proper river management has left them vulnerable to the powerful currents and waves of the Baleshwar.
For coastal residents, the threat of another disaster remains a daily concern, nearly two decades after Sidr.