The groins, set up at Dhutichora and Analerchara, are now totally abandoned in the midstream of the river.

The groins protected only two villages from erosion at the cost of a vast area downstream.

Experts said the devastation befell the area due to faulty planning, which made over 30,000 families homeless since 1995.

Erosion in the affected areas downstream still continues in different vulnerable points along the western bank of the river.

The plan was undertaken to divert the river water eastward to a tributary to save eleven unions from erosion under a river control programme. It was a pilot project funded by the governments of the Netherlands, France and Germany.

The plan included construction of 'counter embankment', dumping of boulders, laying of GO textile sheet and construction of ten groins in a one kilometer area from Dhutichora to Analerchara under Gaibandha Sadar upazila.

But instead of going eastward, the water course surprisingly moved towards the western bank allegedly due to fault in the plan, and soon after completion of seven groins, erosion devoured a big area, local people said.

As erosion took a serious turn in vast areas along the western bank down stream, the remaining work was stopped without construction of three more groins.

"It became a curse for a large number of people who had lost everything due to unplanned construction of groins", Anisur Rahman chairman of Gideri Union Parishad told this correspondent during a visit.

"Every year, many more are losing homesteads and croplands union".

Vast areas in Bhaserpara, Sayedpur, Chirakuthi, Baguria, Balashi Ghat, Kanchipara, Katlamari, Ratenpur, Uria, Gajaria and Nilkuthi have gone into the river.

Fulchhari upazila headquarters is also affected by erosion, he said. The upazila complex was shifted to Kalirbazar two years back declaring the two-story old building abandoned.

Gaibandha town is only three and half kilometers from erosion points at Bhasherpara, Baguria and Sayedpur now, the UP chairman said.

When contacted, Gaibandha WDB Executive Engineer Babul Chandra Shil said WDB had nothing to do in this regard as it was not involved in its planning and implementation.

It was a pilot project and the whole work was done under the supervision of consultants from the three donor countries. Even major construction materials including steel pipes were supplied by the donors.

He however said WDB is now implementing a small project involving Tk 13.4 crore to check erosion in some most vulnerable points in the area.

The WDB engineer said they are dumping concrete blocks along 500 meters of the river bank at Baguria and Sayedpur on priority basis. But the work is incomplete as only Tk 8.92 crore of the fund has so far been released.

The work should be done at a time to make it effective but it is now stopped for want of money, he said.