Jamuna turns furious in 2 districts
Rising water level in the Jamuna river basin is causing erosion at different villages in Bhuapur upazila of Tangail, while erosion has taken an alarming turn in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, threatening croplands, homesteads and educational institutions.
About 100 houses and several hundred acres of croplands in Arjuna and Gabsara unions have been devoured by the Jamuna in the last one week due to surge of water from upstream, locals said.
The affected areas are Degree Char, Rajapur, Soroypara, Faldapara, Bhuiyanpara under Gabsara union and Arjuna village in Arjuna union. The homeless people have taken shelter on flood control embankments.
More houses, educational institutions, markets and croplands are under threat of erosion and hundreds of families in riverside villages are passing sleepless nights in fear of erosion.
Water Development Board (WDB) has dumped GO bags costing Tk 4 crore to check the erosion, but to no effect, locals said.
They said WDB takes some measures to check the erosion every year but only on temporary basis. They demanded construction of an embankment from Pingna in Jamapur to Jokarchar in Tangail as a permanent solution to the erosion problem.
Though the local lawmaker had promised to construct the embankment before election he did not keep his promise, they added.
Rabbi Ahmed of Aurjuna village said he and eight neighbours lost their dwelling houses in the last two days.
Deputy Commissioner of Tangail Khan Mohammad Nurul Amin told journalists that the executive engineer of WDB in Tangail and upazila nirbahi officer of Bhuapur have been directed to take necessary steps to check erosion.
Chief Engineer (central zone) of WDB Mohammad Fakhrul Islam assured local people that they will take necessary steps to check erosion, and will also construct an embankment there next year, locals said.
With the rise of water level in the Jamuna basin, erosion has taken an alarming turn in Haldia union under Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, threatening croplands, homesteads, three-storey Kanaipara Dakhil Madrasa, Haldia Eidgah, Haldia Government Primary School, a mosque and a graveyard.
Fear stricken villagers are shifting movable properties to safer places seeing the devastation caused by erosion. Meanwhile, croplands, trees and homesteads have gone into the riverbed as surging water continues to engulf more areas.
“Erosion washed away my two bighas of cropland and is now threatening my home,” said Abdul Wahed, a farmer of Kanaipara village.
“I have already shifted household articles to my relative's house, as my home is on the verge of going into the river,” said Kafiluddin, a farm labourer.
“Erosion victims go to the union parishad for help and rehabilitation after losing their homesteads, but the parishad cannot help due to limited resources. Many of them have gone to other places after being displaced by the erosion,” said Yakub Ali, chairman of Haldia union.
Steps are being taken to control erosion, but fund constraint and non-availability of contractors sometimes delay the work, said Assistant Engineer of Gaibandha WDB Chandra Shekhar, adding that a long-term programme is needed for river bank protection.
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