Over 4,000 river erosion victims living in flood control dyke

BOGURA, July 13: More than 4000 people, now living in the Jamuna river flood control dyke, under Saghata upazila in Gaibandha have not yet been rehabilitated.

Their houses and dwellings have been swallowed by the Jamuna and these people have become helpless and started taking shelter in different places of the flood control dam. Dense settlement is gradually developing on the flood control dam. All these families have been living in flood control dam for a long time as they do not have their own land and houses. Even today, there is no arrangement for them to live permanently, either publicly or privately.

It is learnt that the flood victims have been living in the 15-km flood control dam from the Bhangamor area of Bharatkhali union in the north of the upazila to Basanter Para in Jumarbari union in the south.

Hundreds of families are also living in Sankibhanga, Bhangamor, Munsir Haat and Bharatkhali area cross dams. Earlier, these people lived permanently in different villages or on a char land on the eastern side of the flood control dam.

They had houses, dwellings, arable land and cows full of barns. But due to the continuous erosion of the river Jamuna flowing by the upazila, the lands of these people were lost to the river.

Talking to freedom fighter Tajul Islam, who lives in the flood control dam in the Hasilkandi area of Saghata union of the upazila, he said they lived in Chawkpara village of Saghataunion of the upazila. Now he is living in the flood control dyke as his house was washed away by the river Jamuna, he also said.

Another distressed man Tofazzal Hossain living in Sankibhanga said he had been living in a dam for almost a decade with his family as he did not have any land of his own. He moved from door to door for a permanent settlement, but none came forward, he added.

Mofizon Bewa (60), a widow who took shelter in a dam in Pabantair area, earns her living by begging. She said she has been living in the dam for about 35 years. She has not yet been provided with official housing.

Chairman of Saghata Upazila Parishad Mosharraf Hossain said the dam is their address as the families who took shelter in the dam do not have their own land. If these families are rehabilitated permanently, they will get a permanent address and the dam will be protected from the threat of destruction, he added.

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