UNB, Khulna :
A significant portion of the Bhairav river embankment near the city’s ghat area has experienced giant cracks recently.
A fifty-foot crack in ghat number 5 has surfaced with risk of further erosion.
Locals blamed loading-unloading of cargo ships in the area for the cracks developed over a 1.5km stretch on the river bank.
But authorities cite lack of funds as major reason in being unable to fix the damage. On investigation, it was found that several heavy-weighted jetties are used to load and unload fertilisers, sand, stones and other materials near the ghat’s embankments. Some are even left for months, as a result of which the pressure causes the cracks to surface.
The protecting walls have been damaged due to the erosions, with the supported bricks uprooted already.
Locals allege that although the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) authorities renovated the embankment area, poor materials and lack of monitoring caused the renovated works to fall apart in a short period of time.
