Rangpur’s Teesta Bridge safety embankment collapses, threatening communication system

The Teesta Bridge safety embankment located in Gangachhara, Rangpur has collapsed severely. The bridge and the Rangpur-Kakina road are under threat. The northwestern end of the bridge’s safety embankment collapsed due to the rising water level of the Teesta since the evening of Saturday (June 20). By 8 pm, a 30-meter section of the embankment had disappeared into the riverbed. A hole about 60 feet deep has been formed there. It is feared that this will cut off communication between the Mahipur Bridge and the Kakina road.
Local residents said that last year, about 100 feet of the embankment had disappeared into the riverbed. At that time, LGED tried to save it by burying bamboo poles upstream of the embankment at a cost of Tk 1.4 million. Later, the poles collapsed due to the strong current of water.
Laxmitari Union Parishad Chairman Abdullah Al Hadi said, “Last year, during the low tide, I requested LGED to make the dam sustainable by blocking it. They did not listen. They spent 1.4 million taka on bamboo piling. This time, that too has been washed away. If immediate action is not taken, the bridge may disappear. This situation has arisen due to wastage of government money.” Gangachhara Upazila LGED Engineer Shah Md. Obaidur Rahman said, “The piling work was done last year on the advice of an expert team from Dhaka. The matter of the new low tide has been reported to the higher authorities. Necessary measures will be taken on an urgent basis after visiting the site.” Gangachhara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Jasmine Akhter said that she visited the site and informed the matter to the higher authorities. Immediate action will be taken.