Netrakona haor people face river erosion

Erosion by the Dhanu river has rendered many families homeless at Panchhat Charpara village in Khaliajury upazila of Netrakona in the last three years.

The river devoured a number of houses and vast tract of cropland in the haor area during the period, said villagers. 

Ataur Rahman, chairman of Gazipur union parishad (UP), said the river is flowing beside Panchhat Charpara village. Around 70 houses of the village went into the river in the last three years. Of the dwellings, 25 were devoured this year.

Around 400 ultra-poor people has faced river erosion till now, said the chairman.

He feared that if the erosion is not checked immediately, the entire village will go into the river within few years.

An application was submitted to the Ministry of Shipping in August last year for immediate step to stop river erosion using ‘lope cut’ in the erosion-prone areas and constructing a dam alongside the river but no step is taken yet, said the chairman.

The river erosion takes its serious turn during the rainy season due to onrush of hilly waters coming from across the border, he said.

Hundreds of engine-run boats ply through the river for different destinations and waves created from the plying of boats, said the UP chairman, adding that it is one of the main reasons for the erosion.

Md Abdul Khaleque, former member of Gazipur union parishad, said he lost his homestead on 10-decimal of land and cropland due to river erosion last year. He along with his family members are now living on land of a villager.

Dulal Mia, a farmer of the area, said his only homestead was devoured by the river. He is now staying at a relative’s house of the village with his family members.

Contacted, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) AHM Ariful Islam said he visited the affected village recently.

There is a plan to rehabilitate the erosion-hit people to a proposed government’s “Ashrayan andGuchhugram Project” in the union on priority basis, said the UNO.

They have already informed the higher authorities to take immediate steps in this regard, he said.