100 families rendered homeless

Padma erosion in Rajshahi

More than 100 families of Char Khidirpur and Khanpur villages under Harian union of Paba upazila have been rendered homeless as erosion by the river Padma has intensified with the fall of water level. The erosion-hit people have taken shelter on open spaces and on the embankment of the river. The villages beside the river are being devoured by the turbulent current with their residents being forced to leave their ancestral homesteads, mango orchards and trees. It is seen, waters of the river Ganges from India and the river Mahananda are entering Bangladeshi territory near Raninagar-Bogchar area under Chapainawabganj district. The water of the Padma is hitting Majhchar village of Godagari upazila. The water then turns to south and erodes the river banks across. Five to ten feet of land go into the gorge of the river daily.
Local people living at the villages across the river Padma under Godagari upazila, informed the river has devoured at least one kilometre of land and homesteads over the last two years. During the current season, the erosion along Alatuli, Kodalkathi, Raninagar, Bogchar, Kalim Mondal , Kaiyapara, Diar Manikchak and Char Boiramari villages under Godagari upazila has turned for worse. People living at the villages are regularly leaving their homesteads and taking shelter in safe places. Many of them informed that for the last couple of days, they have been leading a miserable life without any food and shelter.
They further informed the river has devoured some 150 hectares of land of the villages. Motaleb Ali, a farmer of Khanpur village, informed the erosion has taken a serious turn in this part of the river.
His homestead along with 15 acres of land has been devoured by the river. He had been living at the village for more than 40 years but the erosion forced him to leave his ancestral house, he lamented.
Joynal Haque, another resident of erosion hit Charr Khidirpur village, informed school, mosque, madrasah, graveyard and  Eidgah of the village have been devoured by the river Padma just a day or two before Eid-ul-fitr.
Many rich people of the village have now turned paupers, he said.
He further said number 164 border demarcation pillar separating Bangladesh and India has also been devoured by the river. As a result, Border Security Force of India may intrude into this area any time and claim Bangladeshi territory as a part of India.
"We repeatedly appealed to the local MP and officials of WDB but no one come forward to check erosion. Only during the monsoon when river is at spate with turbulent current, some sacks filled with sacs are poured into the water, just like throwing away money in water and nothing else," he added.
However; Rajshahi Raskha Sangram Parishad (RRSP), a popular local organisation, has organised several human chain, siege programmes, placing of memorandum to the Water Development Board and ministry to take immediate step to save Rajshahi from the grip of erosion. Jamat Khan, secretary of RRSP, expressed his disappointment with non-allocation of fund to check erosion of the river Padma, though, he said, fund was allocated for implementation of identical projects in other region of the country. He termed such anomalies as a regional disparity against the people of Rajshahi. Harun-Ar-Rashid, executive engineer of WDB Rajshahi, informed WDB has sent six projects involving Tk 1,500 crore to the ministry of planning but due to reason unknown, those two projects were sent back to the WDB.
He mentioned such incident disappointing'.

100 families rendered homeless

Padma erosion in Rajshahi

More than 100 families of Char Khidirpur and Khanpur villages under Harian union of Paba upazila have been rendered homeless as erosion by the river Padma has intensified with the fall of water level. The erosion-hit people have taken shelter on open spaces and on the embankment of the river. The villages beside the river are being devoured by the turbulent current with their residents being forced to leave their ancestral homesteads, mango orchards and trees. It is seen, waters of the river Ganges from India and the river Mahananda are entering Bangladeshi territory near Raninagar-Bogchar area under Chapainawabganj district. The water of the Padma is hitting Majhchar village of Godagari upazila. The water then turns to south and erodes the river banks across. Five to ten feet of land go into the gorge of the river daily. Local people living at the villages across the river Padma under Godagari upazila, informed the river has devoured at least one kilometre of land and homesteads over the last two years. During the current season, the erosion along Alatuli, Kodalkathi, Raninagar, Bogchar, Kalim Mondal , Kaiyapara, Diar Manikchak and Char Boiramari villages under Godagari upazila has turned for worse. People living at the villages are regularly leaving their homesteads and taking shelter in safe places. Many of them informed that for the last couple of days, they have been leading a miserable life without any food and shelter. They further informed the river has devoured some 150 hectares of land of the villages. Motaleb Ali, a farmer of Khanpur village, informed the erosion has taken a serious turn in this part of the river. His homestead along with 15 acres of land has been devoured by the river. He had been living at the village for more than 40 years but the erosion forced him to leave his ancestral house, he lamented. Joynal Haque, another resident of erosion hit Charr Khidirpur village, informed school, mosque, madrasah, graveyard and Eidgah of the village have been devoured by the river Padma just a day or two before Eid-ul-fitr. Many rich people of the village have now turned paupers, he said. He further said number 164 border demarcation pillar separating Bangladesh and India has also been devoured by the river. As a result, Border Security Force of India may intrude into this area any time and claim Bangladeshi territory as a part of India. We repeatedly appealed to the local MP and officials of WDB but no one come forward to check erosion. Only during the monsoon when river is at spate with turbulent current, some sacks filled with sacs are poured into the water, just like throwing away money in water and nothing else, he added. However; Rajshahi Raskha Sangram Parishad (RRSP), a popular local organisation, has organised several human chain, siege programmes, placing of memorandum to the Water Development Board and ministry to take immediate step to save Rajshahi from the grip of erosion. Jamat Khan, secretary of RRSP, expressed his disappointment with non-allocation of fund to check erosion of the river Padma, though, he said, fund was allocated for implementation of identical projects in other region of the country. He termed such anomalies as a regional disparity against the people of Rajshahi. Harun-Ar-Rashid, executive engineer of WDB Rajshahi, informed WDB has sent six projects involving Tk 1,500 crore to the ministry of planning but due to reason unknown, those two projects were sent back to the WDB. He mentioned such incident disappointing.