Communication between Balaganj and Fenchuganj upazilas in Sylhet has broken down as about 44 metres of the Balaganj-Fenchuganj-Sylhet GC Road in Amjur area has been washed away by the Kushiyara River.
The incident happened on Tuesday evening, due to a break in the Kushiyara dam, said Debangshu Kumar Singh, Balaganj upazila nirbahi officer (UNO).
This disruption has caused the local residents immense suffering.
“The road was damaged due to natural causes,” the UNO said. “It was built over the Kushiyara dam. The dam is under the supervision of Bangladesh Water Development Board, built by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). On Tuesday evening, the section of the road in the Amjur area broke off and washed away into the river.”
Muhammad Shohiduzzhaman Sharker, executive engineer of the Water Development Board in Sylhet Division, also said the Balaganj-Fenchuganj road had been built over the river dam.
“From the evening till night on Tuesday, 44 metres of the road has gone into the river. Because of this, the traffic has been disrupted,” the BWDB official said. “The matter has been brought to the notice of higher authorities, and we are working on plans to build alternative flood control dams there. Officials have visited the site to design an alternative road.”
Balaganj upazila Engineer SRMG Kibria said about six feet of the road has been completely submerged in the river. However, the total damage was about 44 metres. But the entire road is at risk as a result of the construction of the dam. The Water Development Board is working on a development project proposal in this regard.”
