Ashrayan Project-2: Seven houses collapse after moderate rain

Seven out of 22 houses built for homeless people under the Ashroyon project-2 have partially collapsed following moderate rainfall in Koyerkhali area of Bogura's Sherpur upazila four days ago.

The houses, constructed on the bank of Burigari canal at a cost of Tk 38.50 lakh, were handed to 22 homeless families in January as gift in Mujib Borsho, but those are yet to be occupied. Many of those started developing cracks last month, said locals.

Haider Ali, 45, a beneficiary, said the back wall and the toilet of his house collapsed following the moderate rainfall.

Another beneficiary Shafali Begum, 29, said a part of her house has collapsed.

Fifty-year-old Badsha Akanda said, "We can't start living in our houses gifted by the prime minister because those are collapsing. There is no electricity in the houses. Besides, only one tube well has been installed for the 22 families."

Moksed Ali, 40, who got a house, said during the constructing, the authorities extracted soil from the Burigari canal to fill up the adjacent low-lying land and now the soil is being eroded from under the bases of the houses.

Some other beneficiaries said they were afraid of moving to their houses.

Salma Khatun, 28, said no beneficiary was interested in living in those houses as they already developed cracks and parts of some others were collapsing. She said they were not willing to put their life at risk by starting living in those houses.

However, the upazila administration said they were trying to protect the houses from further damage by piling of bamboos along the bank of the canal.

Asked why such land was picked for the project, Project Implementation Officer Samsunnahar Sheuly said, "The khas land was selected by an upazila taskforce committee."

Moynul Islam, Sherpur upazila nirbahi officer, told The Daily Star that they had filled up a low-lying land with soil during the construction work.

"Following the recent rainfall, the soil started subsiding into the canal. As a result, seven toilets and some walls of the houses have collapsed. We are now dumping sand in the area to protect the land. We will repair the houses later," he added.

Asked about electricity supply and tube well, the UNO said the local public health department would soon install some tube wells in the area. Electrical wiring in those houses was going on, Moynul said.