Victims of river erosion
Where's help for the affected?
A set of front-page photos carried by this newspaper on September 28 shows how destructive the Padma's erosion has been for many people in a number of riparian districts. People have lost their homes, arable lands, belongings and essential properties as the mighty river devours villages one after the other.
We wonder what steps the government has taken to help people affected by this natural disaster. In a visit by reporters of this newspaper to some affected areas, many people were found to have taken shelter under the open sky.
In the more recent case of Naria, Shariatpur, where the river has recently swallowed century-old villages, the prime minister expressed frustration as she found out that none of her ministers had visited the affected areas. Firstly, why did it require the PM's intervention even in such a matter of grave crisis? Secondly, even then we have seen little noticeable efforts from the administration to help people overcome this moment of crisis.
Like any other natural hazard, river erosion is beyond human control and cannot be prevented in advance. And like any other natural calamity, it leaves multitudes in want of help to tide over the problem. This should be treated as any other natural disaster and the affected should be provided with all the help like food and shelter until they are capable of fending for themselves.