Severe erosion has been taking place at different places of Kushiyara riverbanks along Sylhet-Assam border for days — FE Photo Serious erosion has been taking place at various points of Kushiyara riverbanks along Sylhet-Assam frontier for the last few weeks.
Due to heavy downpour and incessant rainfalls for the past few days, four roads in Matlab Dakhshin upazila of Chandpur district have collapsed.
Our Sylhet correspondent says that Water Development Board (PDB) officials said soil erosion has been taking place weeks after the devastating floods caused by the onrush of upstream water from India and excessive rain.
During a visit to Zakiganj and Beanibazar along Assam-Sylhet border on Monday this correspondent saw vast tracts of the riverbank areas in villages like Ujirpur, Loharbond, Pirnagar, Majergaon, Lafakona, Loharmohol in Zakiganj and villages in Beanibazar already eroded.
Nazir Ahmed of village Majorgram said some of the inhabitants of vast areas along border and the adjacent embankment, known as Kushiyara dyke, went landless after their houses were eroded.
Many of the poor inhabitants are just helpless as they don't have any other place to move for living, said Kabir Ahmed, the authorities should immediately take measures to stop erosion as huge land had already been grabbed by the river and Bangladesh's map shrunk in recent years.
Even a family lost their small dwelling house in the river and they took shelter at the Ashrayan Project at Sobria, said Abu Taher of Ujirpur.
BWDB officials admitted that a chunk of land been grabbed by the river showing lands emerged on the Indian side and Bangladesh's map has been getting shrink day by day. About 5km on the Kushiyara riverbank embankment on points like Bakhorshal, Sharishakuri, Sonapur, Suprakandi, Gaglajur, Loharmohal and Ujirpur is just 'highly erosion prone'.
The BWDB had to do emergency works on 15 points on the Kushiyara riverbank and its embankment as there had been breaches and overtopping of gushing waters in the three-phase floods.
BWDB officials said serious erosion has been on along 5km at points. However, we have been doing riverbank protective works on points, but due to fund shortage many places remain uncovered.
The BWDB, under its border river protection project, has been working along 1.8km area at a cost of Tk 43 crore, said its sub-divisional engineer Saju Howlader. Besides, the proposed works along the highly erosion prone points would cost about Tk 2.3 billion (230 crore), he added.
BWDB Executive Engineer Dipok Ranjan Das said, "We had done emergency repair and protective work on 42 points as floodwater overtopped the Kushiyara dyke during and after the recent floods.
Meanwhile, a Tk 700 million (70 crore) project has been sent to the higher authorities for protecting the 41km dyke and the riverbank places.
The proposed works however, include rehabilitation of the dyke and river bank protective works, the official added.
Contacted, superintending engineer Md Shamsul Islam told this correspondent, "We had already sent a proposal for additional work of rehabilitation of 41km Kushiyara dyke alongside the protective works on the highly erosion prone area. When approved, we will start work there."
Our Chandpur correspondent reports that the pucca road has become too narrow, causing much inconveniences to hundreds of people, vehicles and even motor bikers and rickshaws, let alone pickups and trucks loaded with goods.
According to local residents, this is a 10km Mohamaya Bazar (under Chandpur Sadar) - Rajargaon Bazar under Hajiganj Upazila via Matlab Dakhshin Upazila. It is known as Grameen Sarak. It is a pucca road, always maintained and repaired/renovated by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
Every day, thousands of people use this road.
Contacted, Upadhi Dakhshin UP Chairman Golam Mostafa has told the FE, "We have no fund at all to repair the damaged road. The situation becomes worst at night.''
When contacted, Matlab Dakhshin Upazila Engineer Mehedi Hasan has told the FE, "For repairing these roads, we have no emergency fund right now. So, the people, vehicles drivers and owners have to wait with patience.''
''As soon as the fund is available, the repair work will start at once,'' he added.
However, local people have called upon the government to grant funds for repairing the damaged rural roads immediately to mitigate their sufferings.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
