Khasi households at risk of collapse in Madhabkundo

Moulvibazar Correspondent :

The construction of an RCC retaining wall by the Forest Department along the banks of a stream in Madhabkunda Eco Park and Waterfall has put ten indigenous Khasi households on the opposite bank at risk of collapse.

Although there is ample space on the stream bank, the wall is being constructed in the middle of the stream, which threatens to wash away homes on the opposite side due to mountain runoff.

Residents say if the wall had been built just 4-5 feet further up, their homes would have remained safe.

For nearly two months, the affected families have verbally informed Forest Department officials and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), but no action has been taken.

Reportedly, the Sylhet Forest Department initiated a project titled “Forestation and Infrastructure Development to Address Adverse Effects of Climate Change in Sylhet Forest Region,” under which a 500-meter-long and approximately 11-foot-high RCC retaining wall is being constructed at a cost of nearly BDT 1.9 crore (19 million).

However, the Khasi community lives right along the banks of the Madhabchhara stream, where their settlement includes 10 homes. The Forest Department began construction of the wall nearly in the middle of the stream without any plan to protect these households, despite the availability of ample space on the opposite bank. As a result, these Khasi homes now face the threat of being swept away during heavy rains and mountain floods.

During a field visit, the Headman (Mantri) of Madhab Punjee, Wanbor Lgiri, said that the Forest Department is constructing the wall with a faulty design, putting nearby homes at serious risk. “By leaving a large portion of the bank unused and building the wall too close to the center of the stream, the houses of 10 Khasi families will be swept away by mountain runoff,” he stated.