Jamuna erosion intensifies with receding water level
The Jamuna has become furious in Tangail with receding water level devouring several hundred of dwelling houses, roads, markets, weaving factories, poultry farms and different other structures as well as vast tracks of croplands for the last two weeks.
Of these, around one hundred families at Durgapur union in Kalihati upazila lost their dwelling houses in the last couple of days.
The erosion hit the Bhairabbari village in the union on Friday night (July 23) and continued to Saturday (July 24), devouring 14 dwelling houses while 78 families shifted their moveable to evade the wrath of the river, said Anwar Hossain, chairman of the union parishad.
Many of the dwelling houses and other structures also remain on the threat erosion and people living there were passing sleepless nights.
Most of the homeless families were living under the open sky while some others took shelter to relatives and neighbors' houses.
Being informed, Deputy Commissioner Dr Ataul Gani along with local government officials and public representatives visited the area on Sunday and distributed cash money and foods among the affected villagers.
The DC said that the Water Development Board (WDB) had already started dumping GEO bags to check the erosion.
"The government will stay beside the erosion affected villagers and they will be provided necessary supports, including corrugated iron sheets and cash money so that they can construct houses to other places," he added.
Meanwhile, Sadar, Kalihati, Nagarpur and Bhuanpur upazilas of the district are at a closer proximity to the Jamuna river. This time the erosion of the river started at the beginning of the monsoon. The erosion has intensified since July 12 with decreasing water level.
Meanwhile, around one hundred structures including dwelling houses, weaving factories, a saw mills, a market and vast tracks of croplands in three wards of Kakua union of Sadar upazila were devoured by the river within couple of days (from July 10 to 12).
The other erosion affected areas in Sadar upazila are Makarkol, Keshabmaijhail, Titulia, Nayapara, Kukuria and Barbaria of Mahmudnagar union, Deorgachha, Rashidpur, Ichhapasha, Khoshalia, Chanpasha and Nandapasha of Katulee union, and Maspur, Barbela, Chakgopal, and Kachua of Hugra union.
Poet Masum Ferdous, a man from Hugra of Sadar upazila, said the concerned department and other quarters looted crores of taka every year in the name of emergency works when the erosion started during monsoon. However, the nominal works could not save the areas from the erosion but made some quarter rich.
"The areas are getting smaller by the years due to the erosion and there is no alternative of constructing permanent dam to protect the area from disappearing," he added.
On the other hand, the Paishka Maijhail, Khas Ghunipara, Khas Tebaria, Char Solimabad, and Bhuter More of Solimabad union and Shahjani, Bharra, Pachtara and Agdigholia of Bharra union and also Doptior union of Nagarpur upazila, and Govindasi and Gabsara in Bhuanpur upazila were also hit hard by the erosion of the river.
There is no data available that how many people have become absolutely destitute by the river.
Mohammad Sirajul Islam, executive engineer of WDB in Tangail, said works of dumping GEO bags were going on at the affected areas to check the erosion. "It will take time to construct permanent embankments in the areas," he added.
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