Cyclone Ampan: Why the embankments were damage more in Bangladesh in compare to West Bengal
By Adnan Mahfuz Tazvir
Although the cyclone Amphan with a radius of about 500 km has passed, it has left its mark on the coastal areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal in India.
Despite the relatively low tide and wind speed, the embankments in Bangladesh have suffered more damage than in West Bengal. By analyzing the images taken from the sky of the two countries, such a picture has come up.
Climate experts say the embankments would have caused less damage in both countries if the embankments were constructed apart from the river bank.
Pictures are taken from the sky after Ampan shows that hundreds of villages destroyed by most of the embankment broken that constructed closed to riverbank beside the Sundarbans due to the super cyclone.
According to the Meteorological Department, a maximum speed of 152 km per hour caused 126 km of embankment in Khulna and Satkhira.
At the same time, Amphan hit the coastal areas of West Bengal at a maximum of 183 km/h. But out of 236 km of embankment in the North and South 24 Parganas flooded the villages, causing the overflow of the embankment without any breaching its.
In Bangladesh, this situation occurred due to a lack of maintenance of the embankments regularly and adequately. And Indian experts say that after the Ayla, relatively stable embankments were built in West Bengal, so the embankments were strong enough to handle it.
Mr. Ainun Nishat, a climate expert in Bangladesh, said that in many parts of Bangladesh, half of the embankments washed out by rivers. The height of the embankment has decreased. Infect, the embankments were not like embankments; it’s were piles of broken soils.
However, experts from both countries said that the problem would remain if the river is not widened and trees are not planted on the banks of its.
Kalyan Rudra, a climate expert of West Bengal, said, the two Bengal administrations should understand that the river should be given a chance to expand. And they should not build embankments close to the rivers. An extensive mangrove has to be planted in the riverside of embankments.
Mr. Ainun Nishat said, the height of the embankments needed to be increased. In that case, land acquisition will be required. Therefore, concrete walls with earthen embankments can be considered without the acquisition of land.
The Ministry of Water Resources has said that work worth of Tk 3,100 crore is underway to raise and widen all the coastal embankments. Deputy Minister AKM Enamul Haque Shamim said, “We have handed over the embankments with high-risk in the areas of Koira and Dakop to the army for development.”
However, experts in both the countries said, besides making the embankment sustainable, it needs to emphasis to save the Sundarbans.
Source: Soymoy TV
