Bonikbarta Exclusive

Despite the railway between Dohazari and Cox’s Bazar not being fully completed, it was opened in a limited capacity in December 2023. However, after two consecutive years of heavy rains, repeated floods and landslides have made the railway increasingly hazardous. Experts are now saying that the effects of constructing the railway without regard for nature are beginning to show.

In August 2023, parts of the under-construction Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar railway line were damaged by continuous rain and mountain runoff. In the Keochia Temuhani area of Satkania, 450 meters of track sank due to the shifting of soil and rock. Local residents claimed that the construction of the railway contributed to the most severe flooding in memory for that area. Along with the residents, railway officials and experts warned that unplanned construction of the railway could lead to prolonged flooding. Following that flood, the railway’s design was altered, with additional culverts and bridges being constructed. Although this rainy season has not seen flooding or waterlogging around the railway, a new crisis has emerged: landslides. In multiple incidents, landslides have caused sections of the track in the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary to become buried. Railway officials have acknowledged that this new threat has introduced additional risks for the Cox’s Bazar railway line.

According to railway sources, heavy rains across the country on August 22 triggered landslides on the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway line in the eastern region. As a safety precaution, train service to Cox’s Bazar was suspended for several days. Even though train services resumed a few days after clearing the debris, another landslide occurred on Sunday afternoon (September 15). With repeated landslides making the railway in the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary increasingly dangerous, concerns about the construction project have escalated. The root cause of the repeated landslides lies in unregulated and unscientific hillside cutting to build the railway, insufficient culvert and bridge construction over the railway, inadequate retaining walls along the track, and a lack of measures to restore hills that were cut. Additionally, defying environmental department restrictions, soil from hill cutting was used for railway construction, further destabilizing the area.

Industry insiders have noted that soil cut from hills in various parts of Lohagara Upazila was used for embankment construction along the railway line. This practice has led to an increase in landslides across the region during the monsoon season. Landslides have also altered the natural courses of streams and canals, causing water flow issues. The culverts and bridges constructed in the affected areas were not designed to handle the water flow, leading to further disruptions. In Aziznagar, an area in the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, approximately 400 meters of railway is flanked by cut hills, which collapse during rain, creating obstacles on the track. Although siding walls have been built in limited sections of this area, they are insufficient. In the latest landslides, these walls were destroyed, burying the track under soil. The railway authority has instructed the contractor to construct higher retaining walls in this area.

Local residents have pointed out that the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway was constructed in harmony with the surrounding hilly terrain. As a result, the highway has not faced significant damage or prolonged waterlogging, even during heavy rains or floods. The highway has not been a factor in recent flooding or waterlogging. However, the railway, which was built without sufficient adaptation to the hilly terrain, has seen an increase in floods and landslides. The railway’s raised embankment has also slowed water drainage in various areas compared to the highway. Inadequate culverts and the blockage of natural water flow paths during railway construction have caused landslides and water accumulation along the railway.

Following two recent landslides, project authorities were instructed to construct robust guide walls or protective walls at the accident sites. In response, the contractor, Toma Construction Limited, has begun work on a three-to-four-foot-high wall over a 100-meter stretch (77/57 kilometers). Additionally, geo-technology will be used to plant specialized grass on approximately 400 meters of the cut hills in the area to prevent future landslides. With the project’s deadline extended by one month, officials from the contractor and project have stated that these measures will be implemented within the original budget by October to prevent future landslides and waterlogging along the railway.

Railway authorities have reported that prior to the implementation of the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway project, detailed surveys on the soil and biodiversity of the hilly regions were not conducted. Due to a lack of sufficient studies on the quality, fragility, and water flow patterns of the region’s soil, various problems have surfaced as the project nears completion. Unregulated hill-cutting on both sides of the railway, coupled with the use of soil from hill cutting to construct railway track embankments, has obstructed the natural water flow. This has led experts to believe that, despite building retaining walls, incidents of landslides and flooding will increase. They argue that the inconsistency in the catchment areas for water flow near culverts and bridges along the railway route has caused these issues.

Bimal Shaha, Project Director of Toma Construction & Company Limited, told Bonik Barta, “In several areas from Dohazari to Chakaria, the railway track has been constructed on hilly land. As the project is still incomplete, various issues have emerged during the monsoon season. We have already taken measures, with input from experts, to prevent further landslides and waterlogging. In addition to building high walls on both sides, we will plant grass on the hills. These measures will be completed within the repair period, even after the project’s completion.”

In 2013-14, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted for the construction of the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway. The consultant firm held meetings with local administrations, union councils, farmers, fishers, and departments such as local government engineering, coastal forestry, agriculture extension, wildlife conservation, and the environment department. However, local officials from the Water Development Board (WDB) have claimed that their organization was not involved in the meetings. During the EIA, local stakeholders also raised concerns about the potential for flooding and landslides caused by hill-cutting.

Project officials stated that in response to local demands, the number of culverts has been increased. Originally, the design called for 144 culverts along the railway, but due to local demands, this number has been raised to 173. After the 2023 floods, four additional culverts were constructed in the Keochia area of Satkania, among other areas. Officials acknowledged that the construction of extra culverts and bridges outside the original design has highlighted engineering inefficiencies in the project’s implementation.

Mohammad Suboktagin, Director of the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar Railway Project, told Bonik Barta, “While multiple new railways have been constructed across the country, the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway is entirely different. Due to the topographical and geomorphological structure of the hilly land, the project has faced several challenges. We are working to address these issues as we encounter them during implementation. We hope that once the project is fully completed, the current problems, including landslides, will no longer persist.”

Experts believe that the terrain of the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar region is unique compared to the rest of the country. While water generally flows from north to south in Bangladesh, in this region, the water flows from east to west. They stress the urgency of conducting a comprehensive study to rectify existing defects in the railway, considering the region’s heavy rainfall and hilly floods.

Mohammad Saiful Islam, Divisional Railway Manager of the Eastern Railway, told Bonik Barta, “The construction of the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway is not officially complete. Recently, landslides in the Lohagara area brought soil onto the railway in two incidents. We have informed the project authority about these issues and are planning to send a proposal and guidelines for permanent landslide prevention measures. It will be instructed in a letter to complete these works within the project timeline.”