River erosion takes serious turn in Gaibandha

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GAIBANDHA, April 30 (BSS): With the abrupt rise of water level in the Brahmaputra River and onrush of hilly water from the upstream, erosion has taken a serious turn at villages Chinirpatal and Chalkpara under Shaghata union of Shaghata Upazila in the district in past few days creating panic among the people.
Local sources said a vast tract of agri cropland and a good number of dwelling houses had been washed away by the erosion during the last seven days.
The homeless people have taken shelter on the nearby embankment of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWBD) and other places of the upazila.
Shaghata thana headquarters, flood control embankment, academic institutions and business establishments including mosques were facing threat due to unabated erosion, the locals said.
Local lawmaker Advocate Fazley Rabbi Miah visited the erosion affected areas very recently and assured the locals that necessary steps had been taken to protect the areas from the erosion as early as possible.
Talking to the news agency Thursday, executive engineer of BWDB Mir Mosharraf Hossain said a project proposal in this regard had already bee sent to concerned authorities seeking permission to start protection work of the riverbank at the affected areas immediately.