Geo bags installed to prevent erosion in Bandarban

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has installed geo bags along the banks of the Sangu River and Jhongka Canal in Bandarban in an effort to prevent riverbank erosion and protect vulnerable communities and infrastructure.

The initiative is expected to safeguard educational institutions, a police outpost, mosques, cemeteries, cremation grounds, shops and numerous residential houses that have long been threatened by erosion.
Residents of several areas in Bandarban Sadar Upazila have been suffering from the impacts of riverbank erosion for years. During every monsoon season, people living along the banks of the Sangu River and Jhongka Canal faced the risk of losing their homes and property to the encroaching waters.

Bandarban Sadar Union Chairman Ansahla said the project had already brought tangible benefits to local communities.

“The riverbank areas have been protected from further erosion, and residents feel more secure. Extending geo bag protection to other vulnerable locations would help safeguard settlements, agricultural land and important infrastructure in the future,” he said.

Executive Engineer of the Bandarban Water Development Board, Apu Dev, said the geo bag installation project was implemented to protect erosion-prone areas along both the Sangu River and Jhongka Canal.

“Through this project, residential houses, educational institutions, mosques, cemeteries and other important establishments at risk of erosion will be protected,” he said.

He added that proposals would be submitted to higher authorities to gradually extend erosion-control measures to the remaining vulnerable areas based on local needs and demands.

To address the situation, the Water Development Board completed geo bag installation works along the Sangu River in the Goyaliakhola area under Bandarban Sadar Union and on the right bank of Jhongka Canal near the police outpost in Rajbila Union.

Officials involved in the project said the protective measures would significantly reduce erosion and help preserve important public and private infrastructure in the affected areas. Local residents have welcomed the initiative, expressing relief that long-standing erosion risks are finally being addressed.

Local representatives, however, said additional work is needed to ensure comprehensive protection. They noted that approximately 500 metres of riverbank in Goyaliakhola and another 70 metres in Rajbila remain vulnerable and should be included in future erosion-control projects.

According to the Water Development Board, protective geo bag works were carried out during the 2025-26 fiscal year at a cost of approximately Tk 4 million along a 31-metre stretch of the Sangu River bank in Goyaliakhola. A separate Tk 4 million project was also implemented on the erosion-prone right bank of Jhongka Canal near the police outpost in Rajbila Union.

Local residents hope the initiative will provide lasting protection against erosion and help secure lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.