Teesta erosion takes a severe turn

Teesta River erosion has taken a severe turn in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram district and Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha district.

Around two hundred houses and four hundred bighas of land have gone under the river water during the last two months in several villages of the two districts. At least three schools are in vulnerable state. They might be washed away any time.

Ramana union council chairman Golam Askeq said, the houses, valuables, and croplands of Patrakhata village in Sundarganj are being eroded in the river regularly. Erosion could be avoided if the Water Development Board (WDB) has taken effective measures timely

The WDB has been piling up sand-filled GO textile bags at the riverside for the last three days to protect erosion, he added.

The erosion-hit people have taken shelter on government high lands, roads, and in other areas. Many of the villagers have left the village losing their valuables and assets in the river.

Three educational institutes of the village- Modolerhat Government Primary School, Madaripara Mondolerhat Junior High School and Patrakhata Riazul Jannah Dakhil Madrasa are in a vulnerable state, the chairman also said.

Superintendent of Patrakhata Riazul Jannah Dakhil Madrasa Abdul Aziz Akond said the Patrakahata village will be wiped out from the map if the banks of the river are not protected permanently.

Fazlu Miah, 55, of the village, who lost everything in the river, said, ‘’The river has recently eroded my house on eight decimal land. Earlier, I lost three bighas of arable lands in the river. I have become landless and vulnerable losing everything in the river bed and I don’t have the ability to buy land for housing.   Now I along with family members am living in government khas land’’.

An erosion hit people, Baharuddin Miah, 60, of the village, said on last Friday, his houses on ten decimal of land, an orchard, and two bighas of land beside the bank of the river had been eroded.

Abdur Rahim, 50, of Currentbazar village at Haripur union of Sundargonj upazila under Gaibandha said he lost everything including his house and lands in the riverbed due to the unabated erosion. He now along with five family members is living on others’ land. He has nothing to support his family.  Finding no alternative, he becomes a van–puller to maintain his livelihood.

Executive Engineer at WDB in Kurigram Abdullah AL Mamun said he told  the higher authority to take permanent protection measures on the river bank. 

A study, however, is being carried out by an expert team of the River Research Institute, Faridpur to find out the permanent measures to avoid erosion following the application.

The department has also allocated 72 thousand GO textile bags to dump on the riverside to protect the erosion in the villages. Sand-filled GO textile bag piling work in the river is going on. The situation is improving, he added.