Sudden erosion hits croplands in Teesta char areas
Farmers of different villages in Sundarganj upazila are compelled to harvest their premature Boro paddy and other Robi crops due to sudden erosion by the Teesta river in the last one week.
The untimely erosion has already eroded vast tracts of croplands and many dwelling houses in those villages.
Over a hundred of acres of land with standing Robi crops, trees and dwelling houses went into the riverbed in the last one week, rendering about 65 families homeless, locals said.
Meanwhile, more croplands and other structures are on the verge of collapse due to the continuous erosion, affected villagers in Kapasia union said.
“I have cultivated Boro paddy on three bighas of land and it needed only 15 days more to ripe, but all of a sudden the surging water eroded my entire Boro field,” farmer Rafiqul Mia of Bochagari village said.
“After my dwelling house in Tarapur union eroded five years ago I took shelter here, but the erosion chased me till my homestead eroded on Saturday night,” farm labourer Ashraf Ali of Bochagari village said.
Rafiqul Islam, a ward member under Kapasia union, said erosion by the Teesta at different points for the last three weeks has engulfed vast tracts of croplands and dwelling houses in his union, leaving many homeless.
The erosion has engulfed maize on his three bighas land and Boro on two bighas, he said, adding that parts of his brinjal field also went into the riverbed prior to harvest.
Although there was no erosion panic among locals in the last five years, this year it hit Bochagari village and some other nearby areas all of a sudden, Kapasia Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Jalaluddin said.
Gaibandha Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Moklesur Rahman said checking erosion by the Teesta and Brahmaputra is a long term process, but WDB has taken necessary measures to stop erosion in some severely affected areas.
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