River erosion wreaks havoc
Massive land erosion threatens dwellings and set-ups in different areas of a few districts as rivers turned turbulent during the ongoing rains.
The Meghna river has devoured five rice mills and five dwelling houses in two villages under Panishwar union of Brahmanbaria's Sarail upazila during the last couple of days.
The Meghna river started erosion at Shakhati and Palpara villages in the upazila on Saturday afternoon, locals said, adding that five rice mills at Shakhati village and five houses at neighbouring Palpara were washed away by the river.
Hundreds of families in Shakhati and Palpara villages are in panic due to the erosion, said Mostafa Miah, former member of Panishwar union parishad.
In July last year, 10 families left the village as the Meghna eroded their dwelling houses, he said.
Necessary action will be taken to prevent erosion in the area, said Iqbal Hossain, Sarail upazila nirbahi officer (acting).
Around 50 metres of the flood control embankment at Gobordhan village of Mahishkhocha union in Aditmari upazila under Lalmonirhat have collapsed due to erosion by the Teesta river in the last five days.
"The embankment kept eight villages safe from floods for the last ten years. But around 50-metre area of it set with RCC blocks have collapsed. There is fear of further collapse and serious erosion if immediate steps are not taken,” said Fazlar Rahman, 55, of the village.
Mosaddeque Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of Mahishkhocha union parishad, said Water Development Board officials assured taking necessary measures to save the dyke immediately and he helped the officials to collect old RCC blocks for dumping those at the vulnerable spot.
Mohammad Al-Mamun, sub-divisional engineer of WDB in Lalmonirhat, said they have already collected 150 RCC blocks and will collect more 150 blocks by Friday to dump at the spot to save the dyke from collapse.
Over 100 people of Khudrakathi village in Rahmatpur union under Babuganj upazila are constructing bamboo parcopine (a specially made bamboo-structure used for preventing erosion) at their own initiative to protect Rahmatpur-Mirganj-Muladi road from erosion by the Sugandha river.
“Erosion washed away my house, farmland and trees in the last two years. This year, erosion has taken a serious turn, threatening Rahmatpur-Mirganj-Muladi road,” said Khalil Mia, a van driver.
The river that devoured farmlands and houses last year is within 50 feet of the village now, said Mahabub Hossain, a trader and coordinator of the programme.
The villagers decided to construct the bamboo parcopine at their own initiative and over 100 people joined the work as the authorities did not respond to their request for protection against the erosion, he said.
Executive Engineer of Barisal WDB Md Abu Sayed said, “Some emergency work will be done in the erosion affected areas soon. We are also giving logistic support for construction of the bamboo parcopine. A project for prevention of erosion by the Sugandha river has been sent to the head office.”
Around 400 students of Mathbari Union High School at Badurtola in Rajapur upazila under Jhalakathi are attending their classes amid fear of erosion by the Bishkhali river.
Around half of the school ground has already gone into the riverbed.
Meantime, a bazar, several houses and about a hundred acres of agricultural land have gone into the river.
“I communicated with different departments to protect the school but no step has been taken yet. We are trying to manage a land for safe transfer of the school,” said engineer Golam Haider Khan, president of the school managing committee.
Our correspondents from Brahmanbaria, Lalmonirhat, Barisal and Jhalakathi contributed to writing this report.
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