Erosion Hits 300 Families in Gaibandha: Flood adds to their sufferings

Erosion by River Jamuna took a serious turn in eight villages of two unions in Shaghata upazila of Gaibandha rendering at least 300 families homeless in the last 5-6 days.

Many erosion victims have taken shelter on the flood control embankment and are passing days in food and drinking water crisis, reports our correspondent.

The affected villages are Haldia, Beragram, Chinirpatol, Dighalkandi in Haldia union, Hasilkandi, Hatbari, Gobindi and Kamalerpara in Shaghata union.

Alarmed by erosion, people of badly affected areas are leaving their homesteads with whalever belongings they have for safer places, said Sabed Ali, a landless farmer of Beragram.

A large number of homesteads have been devoured as victims hardly got time to remove their properties, said Niranjan, a fisherman.

Although locals erected bamboo spar to fight erosion last month on self-help basis, the whole thing went into the river within a week, villagers said.

Erosion is threatening educational institutes, mosques and village roads. They will disappear in the river if no measure is taken immediately, said Abdur Rouf, former chairman of Shaghata union.

Meanwhile, heavy downpour and onrush of water from upstream have added to the situation.

Jamuna water level crossed danger mark on Saturday by three centimetre, flooding low-lying areas in Gaibandha Sadar, Fulchhari and Shaghata upazilas.

Besides dwelling houses, vast tracts of land with jute, vegetables and recently transplanted aman seedlings went under knee to waist deep water.

According to monitoring cell of local Water Development Board (WDB), Jamuna is now flowing 10 centimetre above danger mark while Ghagot has crossed red mark by 11 centimetre. Teesta and Karatoa might cross red mark at any time, officials said.

Flood-hit village roads in Shaghata have gone under knee to waist deep water, they said.

In Sundarganj upazila, over 10,000 people in six unions along Teesta basin have been affected in shoal areas. Many of them have taken shelter on embankments as their dwelling huts submerged in waist deep water.

Source : The Daily Star