Villagers' bid to save crematorium
The people of seven villages in Sadar upazila started working voluntarily on Sunday to save a crematorium from erosion.
They are collecting money from every family in the seven villages and buying bamboos and wood for constructing a barrier against erosion.
Golabari crematorium is located on the banks of the Chengi river in ward No 9 of Khagrachhari municipality. Golabari area is one of the old settlements in Khagrachhari. At present, it is divided into seven villages. They are Youngdha Bouddha Bihar, Ruikoi Chowdhury para, Aparna Chowdhury para, Rajya moni para, Mongmong member para, Kaladeva and Battoli villages.
The only crematorium in these villages is in Golabari. At one time, the crematorium covered more than one acre, but erosion by the Changi river has reduced the area.
Crematorium Managing Committee General Secretary Mangpru Marma said they informed different government departments concerned about the situation and requested them to take steps to protect the crematorium, but to no avail.
So, not waiting for the government's decision, the villagers are raising money and building a temporary fence to protect the cremation ground.
Mongtowai Chowdhury, an elderly person of the village, said a wall of the crematorium was constructed with the help of Khagrachhari Hill District Council but that is also under threat of erosion. He sought cooperation of the Water Development Board (WDB) to protect the cremation ground.
Uthan Chowdhury, a social worker in Kaladeva village, said the Kaladeba-Battoli road passing through the cremation ground is also threatened by erosion.
Khagrachhari WDB Sub-Assistant Engineer Nikhil Chakma said they have sent a plan for protection of various spots in Khagrachhari from erosion, but the crematorium is not on that list. It will be included in the new Direct Plan Project, he added.
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