Jamuna erosion takes serious turn

Jamuna River continues to devour homesteads and farmland at Goshpara village in Daulatpur upazila of Manikganj district. Photo: Star

Erosion by the River Jamuna took a serious turn in the last three days, rendering hundreds of families of 15 villages homeless and devouring a vast tract of croplands in Daulatpur and Shivalaya upazilas.
The erosion victims, who took shelter on roads and highways, are passing their days in misery as they are yet to get any support from government and non-governmental organisations.
During a visit to Kholshi, Baghutia and Bachamara unions of Daulatpur upazila and Tewta union of Shivalaya upazila on Monday, this correspondent found many villagers leaving their homesteads for safer places as a number of big size cracks developed in river banks.
Anwar Hossain, chairman of Kholshi union parishad, said at least 250 homesteads and crops on 1500 acres of land at Bashtaluk, Ghosh para, Kuti para and Rouha villages in the area went into the river in the last few days.
More than 200 houses and crops on 1000 acres of land at Basail, Islampur, Rahatpur and Jotkashi villages in Baghutia union were washed away by the river, said Akter Hossain, chairman of the union, adding that Pachuria Government Primary School and community clinic are now under erosion threat.
Abdur Rashid Sarker, chairman of Bachamara union parishad, said Jamuna devoured over 50 homesteads and crops on 200 acres of land at Charvanga and Chuadanga villages in the union during the period.
Charvanga Government Primary School and local mosque and madrasa are also under threat of the erosion, he said.
Besides, Jafarganj Bazar, Goaria Government Primary School and Jotkashi Government Primary School of Tewta union in Shivalaya upazila, may go into the river anytime as they are now under threat of erosion.
Despite repeated calls, the authorities are yet to take any steps to check the erosion, said the chairmen.
Deputy Commissioner Md Masood Karim and local Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Md Mizanur Rahman already visited the erosion affected areas in the upazilas.
Md Mizanur Rahman said they wrote to the higher authorities, seeking fund to protect the erosion but no response yet to come.