Residents of Ruiarbil village in Satkhira's Ashashuni upazila are living in fear of flooding as a large portion of the embankment along the Kopotakkho river has developed a crack.

Not only Ruiarbil, local people say that as many 19 nearby villages in the upazila could be inundated during this monsoon if the Water Development Board does not take steps to protect the embankment from erosion at the earliest.

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Masum Billah, a resident of Ruiarbil, said they spotted the crack in the 200-feet area of the embankment under Pratapnagar union four days back. "Already Kopotakkho has gobbled up half of the embankment."

On Tuesday, Yanur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer, visited the affected areas, including Ruairbil, Kurikahania, Subhadrakati, Chakla and Madarbaria villages of the upazila and heard people's grievances. "Proper steps will be taken soon," he told the villagers.

Meanwhile, riverbank erosion has taken a serious turn in Sreepur and Kurikahania villages under Pratapnagar union and Kheyaghat in the Madarbaria area.

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Nearly 30,000 people of Pratapnagar union living in the riverine areas of the two villages have been spending sleepless nights. Their fears are tangible, with monsoon rains barely a couple of months away.

The embankments along Kopotakkho and Kholpetua rivers were damaged during the cyclonic storms, Amphan and Yaas, which hit the coastal areas of Bangladesh in 2020 and 2021, respectively.