Sunamganj town is facing a threat due to continuous erosion of the town protection embankment by the river Surma.

At least two thirds of the two kilometer stretch of the embankment in Waijkhali and Tokghat Bazar areas under the municipality have been washed away in last one month, according to sources in the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Sunamganj.

Sylhet-Sunamganj road link will be snapped if the erosion continues unabated.

But neither the Roads and Highways Department (R&H) nor the municipal authorities is taking any measure to stop the erosion.

The embankment was also used as a link road between Sunamganj and Jamalganj thana.

The Roads and Highways (R&H) department, responsible for the maintenance of the embankment abandoned it six years back after it found flaws In the construction. According to R & H officials, it was erroneously built at the river's bend.

Sunamganj Municipal authorities claimed that they have been asking the R&H to handover the embankment-cum-road to it as the area was under the Municipality. But neither it was handed over to the Municipality nor any measure was taken by the R&H to protect the erosion, they alleged.

Experts believe, although the embankment was faulty, the erosion could have been temporarily slowed down if maintenance work was done.

The R&H, however, is Erosion

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now constructing a new road between Sunamganj and Ja-malganj as the link was cut off with the partial collapse of the embankment-cum-link road.

Sources at the Sunamganj BWDB said the higher authorities were informed about the erosion and plans were being framed in this re Sard. Neither the BWDB nor le R&H has funds to control the river erosion, sources there said.

Giving reasons of the devastating river erosion the experts pointed.

Construction of barrage in the upstream of the river across the country, increased number of motorised boats in the river and sandy soil in the banks were the reasons for the erosion, experts said.