Swelling Jamuna devours fresh areas in Sirajganj
At least 20 homesteads, one mosque and several other small establishments were rubbed away in a sudden erosion in the Jamuna at Pachil Shorifer More point in Sirajganj's Shahzadpur upazila on Wednesday.
Around a hundred establishments were destroyed this season in the upazila.
Kohinur Begum, one of the victims living in Pachil Shorifer More point, told The Daily Star that her tin-shed house was devoured in the Jamuna within half an hour. "I could not save most of my household things."
She also said, "Cracks formed around my home at noon and we started taking preparation to shift home.
"Suddenly the river started roaring and started devouring my homestead, within half an hour my house went into the Jamuna."
Like Kohinur Begum, devastating Jamuna has devoured over 20 residential homes and a mosque of 100-meter area at Shorifer More point.
The erosion continues devouring over 40 to 50 homesteads in the village. Most of the residents could not save their household things and took shelter in flood protection embankment.
Locals alleged that the WDB dumped GO bags into the river a month ago, but the GO bags eroded and started devouring homesteads and river beds in the area.
"The erosion begins very quickly and we cannot save most of the things," Abdus Sattar, another victim, said.
"We have taken shelter here in the flood protection embankment, living inhumanly as most of us have no scope to create makeshift rooms again," he claimed.
Talking to The Daily Star, Shahzadpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shah Mohammad Samsuzzoha said, the river erosion continued over the last one month at the Pachil, Sharifer More, Koijuri, Jalalpur and adjoining areas in the Shahzadpur upazila.
Over a hundred people become homeless due to the ongoing river erosion, the UNO said.
We are giving them food support now, and we have a plan to give more support for rebuilding their homes soon, the UNO added.
Talked to the Daily Star, Shafikul Islam, executive engineer of Sirajganj water development board (WDB), however, said the protection work is going in five places in Shahzadpur upazila.
"Riverside land of Shorifer More and adjoining areas is too week to keep homesteads. As the water level is increasing and decreasing the soil beside the river is eroding rapidly causes sudden erosion." Shafikul said, adding that most probably it was once river land and the people make their homesteads as shoal awakened.
"We are working to protect the erosion but we don't run permanent protection work here at this moment. After removing flood water we will start permanent protection work." Shafikul added.
Meanwhile, over 30 to 40 homesteads, a mosque, a market, a community clinic and a few hundred acres of cultivated land at the Khaspukuria and Baghutia union of Chowhali upazila of Sirajganj have been devoured in the Jamuna river over the last couple of weeks.
Talked to The Daily Star, Chowhali UNO Afsana Yeasmin said the massive erosion remained active at Baghutia for the last couple of weeks.
Tangail water development board has started protection work here in the affected areas she claimed.
Talked with the Daily Star, Sirajul Islam, executive engineer of Tangail WDB, however, claimed the erosion continues in the low laying areas.
They have started protection work to save from ongoing erosion, he added.
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