Post-flood erosion wreaks havoc
Amid recession of floodwater in different areas, erosion by three rivers has turned serious, leaving hundreds of families homeless in Gaibandha and Tangail districts.
About 500 families lost their homesteads due to severe erosion of the Jamuna River at different villages in Fazlupur union of Fulchhari upazila in last week, reports our Gaibandha correspondent.
Golzar Rahman, a farmer of Chandaneshwar village, said erosion displaced at least 78 families at Katiyamari and Kuchkhali areas within last 24 hours.
“At dead of night I saw erosion arriving at the doorstep and I with inmates hurriedly left the place, taking whatever belongings we could carry," said Ramjan Ali, a farm labourer of Chandaneshwar village.
As many as 5,463 families lived in 19 villages of Fazlupur union five years ago, but now 4,111 of them are staying here as many people migrated to other places due to erosion, said Joynal Abedin Jalal, chairman of Fazlupur union parishad, adding that river erosion has displaced 485 families under the union in last one week.
The Jamuna has devoured Chandaneshwar Government Primary School, Utter Khatiyamari Government Primary School, Khatiyamari Nurani Madrasa, two-storey building of Fazlupur Health and Family Planning Centre and nine mosques, the chairman said.
Erosion threatens vast areas of Ziadanga, Bhajandanga in Gajaria union, Purbo Kanchipara in Kanchipara union, Zigabari in Arendabari union, Ratanpur, Kalasona and Uttar Uriya in Uriya union where over 90 families lost homesteads in last 48 hours, said locals.
Protection work is going on in some areas of Fulchhari upazila, but a master plan is needed for the prevention of river erosion in vast areas, said Prokash Kumar Sarker, executive engineer of Water Development Board, Gaibandha.
Our Tangail correspondent reports: The erosion by the Bonsai and Jhinai Rivers in the district has turned serious amid incessant rain and frequent gusty wind in last several days.
Over 350 families of four villages in Mirzapur upazila, 12 villages in Basail upazila and one village in Sadar upazila in Tangail lost their houses due to the erosion by the rivers in last one month.
Most of the erosion affected families in the villages are passing days amid sufferings as they hardly got any help from any quarters, said the victims.
According to upazila project implementation officer's office, a total of 153 families in the riverside Fotepur, Tholpara, Chakleshwar and Gorail villages in Mirzapur upazila lost their houses in the erosion till August 9.
In Basail upazila, over 200 families lost their houses at Kashil, Dapnazar, Kamutia, Nothkhola, Thepia, Balina, Bhairpara, Adajan, Manikchar, Kanchanpur, Kazirapara and Sonarchar villages due to erosion by the Jhinai River in last few weeks.
Fifteen houses at Agbethoir village under Gala union in Tangail Sadar upazila were devoured by the river in last few days.
Comments