With flood water receding, erosion on the banks of major rivers in Rangpur has taken a serious turn.
Several numbers of government primary schools, houses and farmlands have already disappeared from the map of the division in the last few days.
Department of Primary Education’s (DPE) Rangpur Divisional Deputy Director Md Mujahidul Islam said the schools in char areas of the division are almost marooned with flood water during the monsoon every year.
Meanwhile, four schools have already been washed away by the flash flood this year and two schools have been relocated amid the threat of erosion in the division.
He also said, “We have started to monitor the condition in the char areas of the region so that we can take immediate steps for relocation of the schools if the situation demands.”
“As the flood water started receding in the region, the Teesta, Brahmaputra, Dharla, Dudhkumar and the Gangadhar rivers are eroding the banks of the rivers in many places of Lalmonirthat, Kurigram and Rangpur districts,” he added.
At least 280 homes have been washed away in Kurigram while at least 20 homesteads have disappeared into the rivers in Lalmonirhat districts over the past two weeks, according to Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
Local sources said people living in low-lying and river basin areas of the region experienced a flooding situation with the rising of water level in the rivers amid the torrential rains and rush of upstream water before the Eid-ul Azha. Incessant rain and flow upstream water in the rivers marooned houses, croplands, roads and infrastructures.
Four primary schools had been eroded in the rivers in Kurigram district and the infrastructures of two schools were relocated to Gaibandha district on the verge of eroding during the flood.
Some 12 primary schools were eroded in the rivers during last year’s flood in the region, according to the divisional DPE office.
The schools located in the low-lying and char areas of Rangpur division have become vulnerable during the flooding in the monsoon. The worst affected areas are Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.
The eroded schools include - Goailpuri Government Primary School, JhunkarChar Government Primary School under Kurigram Sadar, Paschim Santosh Aviram Government Primary School and Paschim Bazra Government Primary School under Ulipur upazila of Kurigram district.
The authority shifted the two most threatened erosion-hit schools at Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha district which included Kawuabadha Government Primary School and Pipulia Government Primary School.
In addition, some ten more schools under two upazilas of Gaibnadha district are facing severe threats of erosion that might be engulfed by the rivers at any time. Of the schools, eight are located at Fulchhari upazila and the rest two in Sundargonj upazila in the district.
Rangpur District Primary Education Officer, AM Shajahan Siddique said, there are some twelve primary schools at Gongachara, Kawnia and Pirgacha upazila of the district that are facing erosion threat from the Teesta River.
Kurigram District Primary Education Officer, Shahidul Islam said, around two hundred schools located in different chars under Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra river basin areas of the district usually are submerged by the rising water level in the rivers during monsoon. Meanwhile, four schools have been washed away in the rivers this year.
Gaibandha District Primary Education Officer, Harun-ur-Rashid said, “We have shifted two schools’ infrastructures and valuables due to erosion by the Jamuna River.”
Many of the locals and teachers of the erosion-hit areas said the damage could be lessened if preventive measures had been taken properly.
Ajgar Ali, Head Teacher, Char Ishorkol Govt Primary School at Laxitari union under Gongachara upazila of Rangpur district said, the infrastructures of char schools should be developed in such a way that can be shifted under erosion threat.
He also said, if the base of the school structures in char areas is developed with wood and the roof with tin and angle instead of concrete materials, the school could be relocated fast by removing the materials and valuables amid the fear of erosion.
Kurigram BWDB Executive Engineer Abdullah Al Mamun said they were piling sandbags on the banks of the rivers to curb erosion.
