A portion of the embankment stretching about 200 feet has been damaged at Deviganj in Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur district adjacent to Nilphamari Sadar upazila due to high pressure of water.

After the damage, the Teesta Irrigation Project authorities have stopped supply of water through Dinajpur canal resulting in suspension of irrigation on about 12,000 acres of land in a few upazilas in Nilphamari including Khansama, Chiricbandar and Parbatipur.

A source in the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) told The Daily Star, the Teesta Irrigation Project authorities let water to flow through Dinajpur canal on February1. But at dead of night, the embankment was damaged at the aforesaid spot.

When contacted, the BWDB Executive Engineer of Saidpur, Azharu Islam admitted the fact to this correspondent. He said the BWDB men are engaged in repairing the damaged embankment. He further said that it would take about a week to complete the repairing work.

A BWDB source told this correspondent, before supply of water towards Dinajpur canal, the embankment was renovated at a cost of about 2.5 lakh taka. But local people alleged that the renovation work was poor. They also alleged that the embankment had been damaged because of its construction with sand instead of earth.