Erosion hits 10 districts as flood water recedes
With flood water receding, erosion has become devastating in 10 districts, devouring homesteads, croplands, educational institutions and other structures.
Many rendered homeless by river erosion have taken shelter on roads, dykes and other safe places for survival.
Officials of Water Development Board (WDB) said they were trying to prevent river erosion by dumping geo-bags.
Over 55 lakh people of 162 upazilas under 33 districts have so far been affected by floods, said the latest report of National Disaster Response Coordination Centre (NDRCC)
In Kurigram and Lalmonirhat, at least 4,000 homesteads and vast stretches of arable land with standing crops, orchards and bamboo clusters have so far been eroded by flood water in the last week or so.
Local WDB have identified at least a hundred spots in the two districts that witnessed serious erosion.
Meher Ali, 62, of Balapra village under Lalmonirhat's Aditmari upazila, said, "Our homesteads on around 12 decimal of land along with another three bighas of arable land were eroded by the Teesta on Eid day. Now, my family of seven has become homeless."
In Manikganj, over 500 houses and various establishments have already been washed away by flood water. A total of 7,645 square metres in six upazilas have gone under water.
Furthermore, many areas now face the threat of erosion, said Main Uddin, executive engineer of WDB.
In Brahmanbaria, around 50 houses, around four square kilometres of land, one kitchen market, one mosque and five rice mills have been devoured by the river in the last month.
Pradip Chandra Das, a school teacher of Panishwar village under Sarail upazila, said, "We are struggling to prevent river erosion. Many of this area have lost their homes."
In Sunamganj, as flood water recedes, many riverside areas are facing extreme river erosion.
Most of the rivers have become shallow over decades and water recedes slowly, causing erosion, said Md Sabibur Rahman, executive engineer of WDB in Sunamganj.
In Tangail, 780 houses were lost to erosion at six upazilas over the last month. Besides, two educational institutions at Kalihati and Nagarpur upazilas and one religious institution also went into the rivers, according to official data.
The erosion by Pungli river, a branch of the Jamuna, also hit the Tangail town protection embankment had at several points.
In Sirajganj, over 200 houses, a mosque and a huge amount of livestock was lost to flood at Songacha area under Sadar upazila, said locals.
Most of the people could not move their houses, livestock and other valuables as erosion was quick.
"I saw my house and poultry firm of 500 chickens going under water in the span of one and a half hours," said Aminul Islam, a resident of Pachthakuri village.
The sudden erosion was due to the huge pressure of water, said Md Shafikul Islam, executive engineer of Sirajganj WDB.
In Nilphamari, the river devoured 215 houses and around 200 acres of cultivable land in the last five days. Over 500 people displaced by river erosion have moved to safer places.
Aroz Ali, 65, of Char Kharibari shoal, under Dimla upazila, said, "Around 32 houses of our village went under water in the last few days as the Teesta started receding with a circular current."
In Gaibandha, many houses, temples, schools and cropland went under water during the recent floods.
"The Brahmaputra has swallowed almost 300 houses in this area within a week. We have lost our house, a century-old temple and around 70 bighas of crop land. We are descendants of a zamindar [landlords], but now we are homeless," said Taposh Kumar Saha, 50, a resident of Goghat village under Gaibandha Sadar upazila.
In Bogura, four chars and one Guchchgram (cluster of villages) went into the Jamuna river during last month.
Shawkot Ali, chairman of the Chaluyabari union parishad under Sariakandi upazila, said, "In my union, there are 950 families displaced by the recent river erosion. They have taken shelter on various river protection dams."
Our Correspondents from Lalmonirhat, Tangail, Manikganj, Brahmanbaria, Nilphamari, Bogura, Pabna and Sylhet contributed to the story.
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