Barishal Power Tower Threatened by River Erosion
A 33,000-voltage electrical tower in Banaripara is on the verge of collapsing into the Sondha River due to severe erosion. Local authorities and representatives are rushing to implement protective measures to avert a major disaster.
A critical 33,000-voltage electrical infrastructure project in Barishal district faces an imminent threat of destruction as ongoing river erosion continues to eat away at the riverbank. The dangerous situation unfolded yesterday, Sunday, in Kazlahar village, located within the Sadar Union of Banaripara upazila, as the powerful currents of the Sondha River advanced dangerously close to vital regional assets.
According to verified reports, this specific electrical tower serves as a crucial lifeline by connecting five distinct unions situated on the western bank of the Sondha River to the main upazila headquarters' electricity grid. The collapse of this infrastructure would severely sever power transmission, plunging the connected communities into prolonged darkness and crippling essential daily operations across the affected zone.
Local resident Zahirul Islam Saurabh described the severity of the crisis, pointing out that continuous erosion over the past few days has drastically narrowed the gap between the massive electrical tower and the encroaching river. He explicitly warned that if the tower ultimately crashes into the river, it will trigger an absolute catastrophe, paralyzing the daily lives of local residents, completely halting regional trade and commerce, and severely disrupting local educational activities.
Beyond the threatened electrical grid, the unrelenting riverbank collapse has placed additional commercial properties in extreme peril, with two local brick kilns—identified as Shuvo and Kazi Bricks—now resting directly inside the high-risk erosion zone. The escalating danger prompted immediate administrative attention, leading Md. Al-Amin, the Assistant General Manager of the Banaripara Sub-Zonal Office under the Barishal Rural Electricity Association-2, to personally visit the vulnerable site to assess the physical damage.
In response to the mounting crisis, local Member of Parliament S. Sarrafuddin Ahmed Santo has stepped forward to coordinate urgent defensive interventions. He confirmed that necessary initiatives, including the immediate placement of geo-bags along the crumbling shoreline, are being organized to safeguard the tower, noting that he has already held direct discussions with the executive engineer of the Water Development Board to expedite the emergency response.
