300 houses lost to Padma
Erosion by the Padma river has turned serious in different areas of Manikganj and Munshiganj.
The river devoured the whole of Boro Bahadurpur village and large portions of five other villages under Harirampur upazila in Manikganj during the last few years, reports our correspondent.
According to a NASA report, Harirampur is the worst affected area due to river erosion in Bangladesh.
Ten among the 13 unions of the upazila are affected by the erosion.
Most of the Lechraganj, Sutalori, Azimnagar and Kanchanpur unions went into the river while large portions of Harukandi, Dhulsura, Boyra, Ramkrisnapur, Gopinathpur and Balla were badly affected due to erosion by Padma.
“In last one month, more than 600 families became homeless as 300 houses of Boro Bahadurpur, Chhoto Bahadurpur and Degirchar villages of Gopinathpur union were washed away. One hundred and fifty more houses in Ramkrishnapur union were eroded along with paddy fields and business set-ups,” said Abdul Kuddus, chairman of Gopinathpur Union Parishad.
Many other families are under the threat of devastating river erosion, he said.
During a visit to the erosion hit areas, a number of villagers were seen leaving their houses to shift to safer places in fear of further erosion.
“After losing our houses to the river, I along with some other families live on the land of Wahab Munshi of Degirchar village and each family has to pay Tk 2,000 as rent to the land owner,” said 70-year-old Abdul Latif of Chhoto Bahadurpur.
Day labourers Barek Shikdar and Selim Mallik of Boro Bahadurpur village also took shelter at Degirchar village after their house was devoured early this season.
Fisherman Sharif Mirza of Chhoto Bahadurpur village said he along with his elderly mother, wife and two adult daughters stay in a one-room tin-shed house on a rented land in a neighbouring area as he lost his house in this year's erosion.
Hafiz Uddin Bepari, 70, Tara Banu, 60, and Suruj Ali, 55, of Boro Bahadurpur village said they lost everything in the river erosion this year.
Many of the erosion-hit people have similar tales to tell.
All the 1,200 families of Boro Bahadurpur village lost their homestead as the river erosion destroyed the entire village in last 10 years, locals said.
They urged the government to arrange housing for all the erosion victim families and make permanent concrete embankment to check the river erosion.
Manikganj Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Mahbube Mawla Md Mehedi Hasan said his department dumped Geo bags at five points of the river recently to prevent the erosion in Bahadurpur and Ramkrishnapur areas.
“We are planning to build a permanent embankment there in next dry season, he said.
Our Munshiganj Correspondent reports: Erosion by the Padma has rendered eight families homeless at Haiarpar village in Tongibari upazila under the district in last week.
Many other houses and infrastructures are under threat.
The erosion has been expedited by strong waves on both sides of the river due to unplanned dredging and movement of ships carrying sand.
In last year, 14 families in the village were affected by the river erosion. Many important structures including tube-wells in the village also went into the river.
“Erosion started in Hasail of Tongibari and Paikara village under Louhajang upazila in this season. The government shelter centre at Paikara village went into the river at the beginning of the rainy season,” Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Saila Farzana said.
Unplanned dredging and land grabbing has been changing the course of the river and causing erosion at Haiarpar, said President of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon's Munshiganj unit and Munshiganj Nadi Bachao Committee advocate Mujibur Rahman.
Since 1993 the Padma has devoured at least 39 villages on its both banks, mostly in Naria of Shariatpur on the other side of Munshiganj, he said.
Tongibari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mosammat Hasina Akter said she has written to the WDB to take necessary steps to prevent river erosion.
“I have also asked the authorities concerned to take action after investigation against the people involved with unplanned dredging. Steps have also been taken to stop movement of sand carrying vessels that create strong waves on the river,” she said.
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