Land subsidence jolt

What has happened in Kapasia might just be a manifestation of things going awry in the subterranean world. We don't yet know the extent of our vulnerability to such terrible dislocation of soil. So, what we need is a scientific explanation of why this has happened. Experts have warned us of the hazards associated with the ground water table going down due to over-extraction through installation of a huge number of deep tubewells across the country. Now it has to be found out whether Tuesday's incident had anything to do with it. Internal burrowing of land could be a reason behind the top layer of soil caving in. Some people have alleged that indiscriminate quarrying of sands from a nearby river could have also weakened the soil foundation. Finally, the recent Tsunami could have caused the damage to land in the area. In fact, the Tsunami factor could account for changes in the soil condition in the region as a whole and, as such, it might require investigation on a much wider scale. The task on our hands is to know the precise cause behind the Kapasia land-collapse. We should not rest content with anecdotal evidence; instead, we need to plumb deeper in order to find out whether any geological changes are actually taking place in the area.

The government will be well-advised to form a committee of experts to ascertain the real cause behind the unusual soil subsidence at a place not far from Dhaka. The city itself could be on the verge of facing similar disasters owing to unplanned extraction of ground water which has already pushed the water table much lower than what it was in the past. The experts should assess the situation correctly and suggest remedial or preventive measures to keep things on the right track. The point is all the more relevant as most parts of Bangladesh are known to be vulnerable to earthquake.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source