Padma devouring two bordering villages

Faced with the threat of erosion by the Padma, locals shift their shops and houses at Char Khidirpur in Poba upazila under Rajshahi district on Sunday. Inset, PHOTO: STAR

Around 250 families have become homeless as the Padma devoured large portions of bordering villages, Char Khidirpur and Char Khanpur in Poba upazila under the district during the last ten days.
"The Padma has continued eroding lands on a stretch of three kilometre area since August 10 and around 250 houses, four mosques, a madrasa, a community clinic, four culverts and vast cultivable lands have gone into the riverbed by this time," said Razzakul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer of Poba.
“If the erosion continues, Bangladesh might lose huge land to India as the latter will claim its territory from the midstream. According to the India-Bangladesh Border Treaty of 1974, the mid-point of a river flowing between the two countries determines the border there," he said.

Attempts are on to save the area by dumping sandbags. PHOTO: STAR

Over 10,000 villagers are passing days amid fear of losing lands as the river has reached 60 yards from Char Khanpur outpost of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) while it is flowing only a few yards away from Char Khidirpur BGB outpost.
Erosion by the Padma has reduced Char Khanpur and Char Khidirpur villages to around five square kilometres from 28 square kilometres in last five or six years, said villagers and officials concerned.
Visiting the villages a couple of days ago, a group of newsmen saw the villagers shifting their tin-made houses to safer places fearing erosion.
"I along with many others lost home one week ago. I erected a new house near Khidirpur BGB camp in July but it is gone,” said Hafizul Islam, a villager.
BGB has started shifting equipment and office documents of Char Khidirpur and Char Khanpur camps due to the threat of erosion, said Khalilur Rahman, commander of Khanpur BGB outpost.
WDB Executive Engineer Harunur Rashid said, "It is difficult to deal with the situation as the river is deep at erosion points. An emergency Tk 3 crore erosion prevention project that was taken in last week of July was 75 percent complete, but it virtually failed due to the strong current of the river."