Home ›› 26 Oct 2022 ›› Nation
With the rise of the water level in the Brahmaputra River, erosion has taken a serious turn at different places along the river bank of Ulipur upazila of Kurigram.
''The river has devoured my house and croplands. I have nowhere else to go with my family'', said farmer Alhaz Miah of Fakirer Char village in Begumganj union of the upazila.
Hundreds of houses, homesteads and thousands of hectares of cropland have been eroded for years in the villages. The authority concerned is yet to take permanent measures to stop the erosion, he said.
Erosion has taken a severe turn recently in two villages- Fakirer Char and Musollipara under the union of rendering the villagers homeless and landless. Many flood-hit people do not even have any chance to relocate their houses and valuables as the erosion occurred swiftly, he added.
Around 50 houses, homesteads and acres of arable lands had been eroded in the river during the last month. Scores of houses in the villages are still facing the threat to be eroded anytime. Villagers got panicked and are passing sleepless frightening nights.
The water level in the river has increased during the last fifteen days which has expedited the erosion across the bank. Villagers living in the char areas and beside the bank of the river have been losing their houses and croplands due to the unabated erosion. The department concerned is yet to take any measures to protest the erosion.
The erosion hit people who have taken shelter on government highlands, and relatives' houses. Meanwhile, many of the villagers have left their ancestral place losing everything, said local sources.
Razzak Mollah, 55, of Musollipara village, who lost everything in the river said, “My house on ten decimal of lands was eroded. Everything just finished within two hours in front of my eyes. I could not save anything.”
“Now I find no alternative living on the highlands beside the roads along with my family members including my ailing aged parents,” he added.
Flood-hit Khaleq Miah, Kuddus Mondol, and Delowar Hossain of the upazila described their echoed the similar sorrowful voice. They live on other’s land losing everything in the river.
Begumganj union Parishad chairman Bablu Miah said erosion has rendered hundreds of families vulnerable in his area during the last five years.
The devastation can be avoided if the authority concerned takes effective measures on time. The Water Development Board has started to dump sand-filled geo-textile bags on the bank to protect against erosion which is being washed away by the current of the river.
UNO Shovon Rangsha said,” The WDB has been asked to take immediate measures to prevent the erosion.”
Executive Engineer of WDB in Kurigram, Abdullah AL Mamun said the department has been dumping geo-textile bags on an emergency basis in the riverside for the protection measure.
Erosion has been continuing across three kilometers long area in the riverside of the union. The protection cannot be done by emergency work. It needs a permanent solution that requires at least Tk 30 crore.
“We sent a proposal to the concerned ministry to erect a permanent embankment across the riverside in the area. A study is also being carried out in this regard. The work would begin soon after the approval of the proposal,” he added.
