Sherpur, Tangail
River erosion takes serious turn
OUR CORRESPONDENTS
Three rivers -Someswary and Moharosy and Maligi of the Sherpur district, fed by rains and onrush of water from upstream, has triggered erosion breaching flood control dykes and flooding a vast area. Ramerkora Flood Control Dam on the Moharosy River in Jhinaigati upazila breached on June 11. Water has entered the Upazila Parishad building damaging important documents, including computer. It has also eroded at least 30 feet of Jhinaigati-Botpur concrete road and damaged thousands of hectares of Aman seedbeds and vegetables in the fields, said sources at the Jhinaigati upazila agriculture office. The gushing water from hills across the border in India has set off erosion of the bank of the Someswary River near the Bagerbita village in Jhinaigati upazila. At some points the river has overflowed its bank flooding a vast area and washing away fishes from the ponds and canals of the upazila. Thousands of people have been marooned by the flood water. The affected villages are Digir par, Chapa Jora, Bakakora, Chotol, Kalinagar, Kandoli, Sorihara, Bagerbita, Diriarpar, Aynapur, Karagow, Bogadopi and Bilaspur. under Jhinaigati upazila of the district. Small bridges and culverts have also gone under water and homestead inundated.
Farmer Ali Hossain (55) of West Khalbangah village of the upazila said the hilly water is coming down in great force. The water has entered several educational institutions, including Bilborat High School. Some schools have been declared closed by the authorities. Road communication from Jhinaigati to Botpur has been disrupted. People of the affected areas are using rafts and boats for movement. The rivers, canals, ponds, beels and other water bodies that were dried up only recently are now overflowed by the flood water.
Some roads of the district town have gone under water causing untold sufferings to the pedestrians. A poor drainage system is another cause for quick flooding of roads and houses in the town.
The rains, flooding of crop lands and disruption in the communication have inflicted sufferings upon people, especially the day labourers, of the district. Labourers of rice mills are the worst victims of the flood.
Meanwhile, at least 400 families have been rendered homeless during the last three days after their homesteads and arable lands have been eroded into the mighty River Jamuna in Bhuapur upazila of the district. The erosion-hit areas in the upazila are Khanoorbari, Kostapara, Charchitulia, Valkutia and Chituliapara villages under Gobindashi Union, Kutirboira, Aurjuna, Chukainagor, Shusua, Gobindapur under Aurjuna Union, Rulipara, Rehai Gabsara, Rampur, Chondipur, Megherpotol under Gabshara Union, Konabari and Baintail.
Abdul Majid Sarker and Abdus Sabur of Kostapara said erosion has been continuing over the last few years. But the Water Development Board and the administration have not taken any measures to stop erosion. Failing to get any response from the administration local people voluntarily built a bamboo dam to protect the area from erosion last month. The dam has now been washed away by strong current. Due to erosion Bhuapur-Tarakandi flood control embankment-cum-road has remained vulnerable for couple of years now. Movement of transports has been suspended since last year due to erosion.
Sources said about 200 homesteads, schools of the four unions, Naval Police outpost, mosques, temples, poultry farms of the area are under threat of erosion. The people of the vulnerable areas are shifting their houses, furniture and cattle to the safer places. Abdul Halim, chairman of Bhuapur Upazila Parishad, visited the erosion hit areas yesterday and assured the people there that he would ask the proper authorities for immediate action. Executive Engineer of WDB Shahjahn Siraj said the higher authorities have been informed about the matter for an urgent action.
