Erosion renders 300 families homeless in a week

Erosion by Brahmaputra washed away about one kilometre of the flood protection dyke and rendered around 300 families homeless in a week at several villages under Jatrapur union of Kurigram. PHOTO: STAR

Erosion by Brahmaputra washed away a big portion of the river protection embankment, rendering around 300 families homeless at several villages in Jatrapur union of Sadar upazila in the last one week.
The worst affected villages are Char Jatrapur, Farazipara, Parbattipur, Ghanoshyampur, Baldipara and Garuhara.
A large number of erosion-hit people have already taken shelter on government roads and high lands, said an official of Water Development Board (WDB) in the district.
About a kilometer of the embankment went into the river, causing immense sufferings to the people of Jattrapur, Nayerhat and Begumganj unions as they have to go to the district town by using boat, said Mahabubur Rahman, 50, a villager.
Earlier, they used the embankment as a road for going to the town, he said.
If the authorities did not reconstruct the embankment immediately, floodwater in the few weeks would enter Baldipara, Garuhara villages of Jattrapur union and Araji Palashbari, Shitaijhar and Gabindapur villages of Pachgachhi union, rendering over 20,000 families homeless, feared Abdul Gafur, chairman of Jatrapur UP.
Besides, several thousand acres of lands would turn uncultivable if they remain covered with sands carried by floodwater, said the chairman.
Despite repeated appeals, the authorities are yet to take any remarkable steps to protect the erosion, he alleged.
Kurigram WDB executive engineer Enayet Ullah however, said, the work for protecting erosion came to a halt due to heavy current at erosion point of the river.