Jamuna devours 500 homesteads in Bhuapur in 15 days
The Jamuna continues to erode homesteads and agricultural land at the villages along the river in Bhuapur upazila of Tangail district. The river has already devoured 1,000 dwelling houses and a vast tract of agricultural land at Khanur Bar and Char Chitulia villages in the upazila. Photo: STAR
Thousands in the riverside villages of Bhuapur upazila are living amid worries, as erosion by the Jamuna has turned furious ahead of the monsoon.
Homesteads of around 500 families at Khanur Bari and Char Chitulia villages under Govindasi union in the upazila have already been devoured by the river in the last 15 days.
Moreover, people of different villages under Govindasi, Aurjuna and Nikrail unions are facing serious erosion threat due to rise of water level in the river recently.
The mighty Jamuna caused serious erosion in the same areas during the last year's monsoon.
However, the river has turned more furious this year and has already devoured about 1,000 dwelling houses, fruit and vegetable orchards and vast tracts of agricultural lands in the villages, officials said.
Scores of riverside families have left their houses for safe shelters while many others are passing days under the open sky.
During this correspondent's visit to erosion-affected Khanur Bari and Char Chitulia villages in Bhuapur on Friday, the affected people expressed their deep concern over the unabated erosion.
Many people of the two villages including Muksed Khan, Shahid Khan, Uzzal Miah, Abdur Rashid, Tota Miah, Abdur Rahman, Kismat Miah, Akrom Khan, Abdul Barek, Abdur Rahim, Abdus Salam, Saheb Uddin, Bahar Ali and Mazam said they have been made homeless by recent erosion by the Jamuna.
On the other hand, scores of other panic stricken dwellers are spending sleepless nights for fear of erosion anytime, locals said.
Teacher Abdur Rahman of erosion-affected Khanur Bari village told this correspondent that many houses including his dwelling hut have gone into the river in the last few days.
“Although the people suffer for Jamuna erosion every year, the authorities concerned seem indifferent, they never take any effective measure to check the erosion. Many riverside villages have already disappeared from the map of the upazila and many villages may disappear within a short period,” he added.
Contacted, Riazul Hasan, executive engineer of Tangail Water Development Board said, “We have no fund to take steps against the river erosion. We have written to the higher authorities for providing necessary fund for the purpose. The work will start only after getting the fund,” he added.
Ikramuddin Tara Mridha, chairman of erosion-affected Govindasi union, said he has prepared lists of 260 families from north and 90 families from south who lost their dwelling houses.
“The river erosion is also threatening the flood control embankment in the area,” he added.
Meantime, lawmaker from Tangail-2 (Bhuapur-Gopalpur) Khandakar Asaduzzaman, Bhuapur upazila chairman Shamsul Haque Talukder and upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) KM Abdul Wadud have visited the erosion-affected villages but the hapless people are yet to see any fruits.
Contacted, the UNO told this correspondent that he has already sent the lists of the erosion-affected people to the deputy commissioner's office for extending emergency helps.
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