Erosion now causing headaches

Erosion by rivers and floodwater have taken a serious turn in at least six districts, rendering several hundred families homeless.

As of 9:00am yesterday, at least 21 rivers in 13 districts were flowing above danger level, said a bulletin of the government's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).

In the next 24 hours, the flood situation may improve at low-lying places of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Bogra districts, it said.

It may remain steady at low-lying places of Tangail, Sirajganj, Pabna and Manikganj districts, while may deteriorate at low-lying places of Rajbari, Faridpur and Shariatpur districts, the bulletin added.

Our correspondents from different districts yesterday reported erosion and flood.

In Kurigram, about 300 homesteads, 2,000 bighas and 100 fruit orchards at four villages of Rajarhat upazila were devoured by the Teesta River in the last two days.

"My house and around three bighas of lands went into the Teesta's womb on Thursday," said Shahid Mandal of the upazila's Gatiashyam village.

Erosion victim Abdur Rashid, a resident of the same village, said: "I have become landless. Now, I have taken shelter on a road."

Meanwhile, about 70,000 people in the district are still marooned by floodwater as major rivers including the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar were flowing above the danger line.

Over in Manikganj, more than 1,000 houses of different areas in all the seven upazilas have been eroded in the last one month and about one lakh people of the upazilas are still marooned, according to locals.

"My two bighas of cropland have been devoured by Kaliganga river. Now that the river has come nearer to my house, it may go into the water anytime," said Ananda Rajbonghsi, 45, a resident of Joynagar Majhipara area of Sadar upazila.

Jamuna was flowing 40 centimetres above the danger mark at Aricha point yesterday afternoon, according to FFWC.

In Gaibandha, about 400 families have shifted to another safe place in the last two weeks as their household and croplands have been devoured by the Brahmaputra River at Char Kochkhali and Char Kharjani char area under Sadar upazila.

"We have become homeless as our house has gone into the river. We don't know how we will survive in the coming days," said Sheikh Siraj, 60, a resident of the Char Kochkhali area.

In Nilphamari, houses of about 200 families at the Bhendabari area of Dimla upazila were washed away by the Teesta river on Thursday night after a spur of the Bangladesh Water Development Board was eroded.

Some 5,000 people of the upazila's low-lying areas have been remaining waterlogged for the last three days.

At Sirajganj's Kazipur upazila, two culverts and more than 100 metres of roads have been eroded by floodwater in the last two days. More than 1.5 lakh people of 35 unions are still marooned in the district's five upazilas.

In Tangail, several hundred people are passing days in fear of losing their homesteads and croplands as multiple cracks have been developed in the Silimpur-Karatia embankment due to the huge current of the Pungli river, a branch of Jamuna.

In Lalmonirhat, about 30,000 people are passing hard days as they were hit by the flood. Teesta and Dharla, the two major rivers, were flowing above the danger level.

Over in Faridpur, nearly 20,000 families of 4 upazilas are affected by floodwater as the Padma river is flowing above its danger level.

In Bogura, Jamuna was still flowing 66 cm above the danger level as of yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the government officials of the flood-hit districts said they were providing relief assistance to the victims.