Villagers themselves building dyke to stop erosion of Louhajang river in Tangail
People of Doshokia union in Kalihati upazila of Tangail have been constructing a 300-metre embankment through voluntary work to save their houses, an Eid congregation ground, a graveyard and a dakhil madrasa from erosion by the Louhajang river.
Erosion of the Louhajang river hit the Doshokia union since the increase of water level of the river from the beginning of the monsoon, devouring a number of structures, including dwelling houses, and croplands.
After an Eid congregation ground, a graveyard and a dakhil madrasa and many other houses faced the threat erosion, the villagers took an initiative to resist the erosion by constructing a temporary embankment on their own to save the area from going to riverbed, local sources said.
They started works to construct the embankment on Friday and first constructing bamboo fence at a 300 metres stretch. Later, they will dump sand bags on there. The works may take few more days for completion, they said.
Villagers Masum Khan, Ramjan Ali, Dulu Miah, Faruk Sarkar, Nurul Islam, Sobur Ali, Lal Miah and Abul Kasem said erosion was devouring dwelling houses and different other structures as well as croplands for the last two years, making many local families displaced. However, the authorities and public representatives did nothing to solve the problem.
As the erosion of the river posed threats to the Eid Gaon, graveyard used by the people of the three villages and also the madrasa and dwelling houses in the area, the villagers decided to do something to check the erosion and save these by their own, they said.
Immediately after the decision, they raised a fund of Tk 2 lakh by the contribution of the villagers and also taking donation from local markets to construct an embankment on there, they said.
Motiur Rahman Bhuiyan, member of 8 Ward No 8 of the union, said the villagers were working to construct the embankment voluntarily and taking donation from the locals for it.
Being informed of the villagers' initiative, Abdul Malek Bhuiyan, chairman of Doshokia union parishad, also came ahead, expressed his solidarity with the villagers and provided his supports to implement the initiative.
Malek Bhuiyan, the UP chairman and also the general secretary of upazila unit of Awami League, said he has already extended his help, including financial supports, to the villagers' initiative.
"I'll also request the Water Development Board and Upazila Administration for taking initiative to construct a permanent embankment in the erosion affected area," he said.
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