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Kuakata protection dyke collapses before completion

Use of substandard materials alleged

Sohrab Hossain, Patuakali
Under construction Kuakata sea beach protection dyke has virtually collapsed, amid alleged irregularities including use of substandard materials in the work.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) is implementing the Tk 1.90 crore 'Kuakata sea beach protection project' and Dhaka BJGO Textile Company Ltd is building the 1.50 km dyke from Kuakata Zero Point to Dakhil Madrasa area as contractor.
WDB issued the work order on April 15 this year for the dyke with geo-bags and geo-tubes and the work started on April 22.
As per the schedule, the work was
to be complete by June 30 but two months after expiry of the timeframe, the contractor now claims that around 90 percent of the works is done.
Sixty-four geo-tubes (each 30-metre-long, 2.50-metre-diameter) and 8,000 geo-bags (each containing 250 kg of sand) are to put on the beach to protect it from cyclones and strong tidal surges from the Bay.
The geo-tubes and geo-bags used for the dyke are allegedly filled with low quality sand lifted from the beach although the work order stipulated use of thicker and better quality sand for the purpose, said Md Shah Alam, councillor of Kuakata municipality.
"From the beginning we protested such irregularities in the work," said Motaleb Hawlader, secretary of Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners' Association.
"Sand from geo-tubes and geo-bags came out, making the protection dyke vulnerable. Bidder's men had filled these bags with locally extracted sand, which is of very low quality. Even the geo-tubes and geo-bags are below standard," said Abdul Bareq Molla, mayor of Kuakata municipality.
The project work should be implemented properly in view of the importance of protecting the beach at Kuakata tourist spot, he said.
Md Monir Hossain, assistant
engineer of the contracting firm, said, "We are working as per schedule. The work is delayed as we have to carry sand from Narayanganj and the transport is hampered due to rain. We submitted prayer for extending timeframe.”
Contacted, Md Waliuzzaman, executive engineer of WDB (Kalapara Circle), said, "Works are being done as per schedule and no irregularities have been found. The contractor submitted prayer for extension of time and we allowed. We hope the work will be complete very soon."
"Sometimes sand comes out of geotubes as a section of tourists frequently jump on those, causing cracks," he added.