Erosion takes serious turn in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Jamalpur

RAJSHAHI, Oct 02: Due to onrush of water in the Padma river from across the border, over 15, 000 people of more than thirty char villages of four upazilas of Bagha, Godagari, Charghat and Paba have been trapped in water.
Already more than 600 families of those char villages have learnt to have left their homes and taken shelter in nearby city or upazila schools and at their relatives' houses, District Administration, Rajshahi sources informed.
Shahidul Alam, executive engineer of the Water Development Board (WDB) in Rajshahi, said though part of the Rajshahi city protection embankment has been collapsed, there was nothing to be worried as already 500 geo-bags have been dumped on the spot to protect the embankment.
He said the water of the river Padma was flowing only 32 cm below the danger level in Rajshahi and may cross the level any time. The river was flowing at 18.18 metre as against at 18.50 metre of danger level.
Meteorological sources said though there was no rainfall in Rajshahi during last 24 hours, there was incessant rainfall for the last seven days in the district.
Due to increase in water in the river Padma and in incessant rainfall, 12 villages of our unions of Godagari upazila have been flooded rendering 2,000 people of those villages water logged.
Already 76 houses of those villages have been collapsed in flood water and more than 200 houses including a number of primary schools are being threatened to be eroded in the river.
Moreover, there were 116. 06 mm of rainfall during the last nine days in Rajshahi which is the highest recorded rainfall in the district in this year.
According to sources, due to sudden increase in water of the river Padma, villages Char Naoshera, Hanumantmnagar, Natun Para, Amtola, Khasmohal, Bari Nagar, Char Boyramari villages under Char Asariadaha union, Hatnabad of Char Basudevpur union, Nimtola and Alipur of Gogarm Union, Khorchaka and Mollapara of Deopara union have been flooded.
Flood affected people of those villages were taking shelter on the raised road side ground or on schools.
District administration has directed the upazila administration to take immediate measure to shift the flood affected people with their domestic animals and belongings to safe shelters.
Sanaullah, Chairman of Char Asariadaha union informed, if the water of river Padma continues to rise for the next two to three days at the present rate of increase, all the villages of the union will be flooded.
So far 76 houses of the upazila have been collapsed into water and crops and vegetables of several hundred hectares of land have been damaged.
Diar Manik Chalk, Boalmari government school and flood centre is threatened by erosion.
Meanwhile, due to incessant rainfall and entry of flood water from the river Padma, low lying areas of Godagari Municipality, and villages of Matikata, Mohanpur, Pakri. Kakonhat, Rishikul and Godagari unions have been flooded.
Shimul Akhter, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Godagari informed, dry foods have been distributed among flood affected people.
The flood situation in char villages of Bagha, Paba, Charghat upazilas area also learnt to be worsening.
District administration in cooperation with the upazila administration in Bagha and Charghat has started shifting the affected char people of the upazilas to safer places.
Meanwhile, 14 schools of Char villages of Bagha upazila have been declared closed. More than 2,000 families of more than one dozen of char villages under Bagha upazila have been affected by flood of the Padma.
According to sources, nearly 3,600 families consisting of nearly 20,000 people live in 20 char villages of Bagha upazila. More than 2,000 families of those villages have been affected by flood.
The Purba Chalkrajapur Government School has been shifted to other places due to erosion. Luxminagar Government High School and Char Kalidaskhali Government High Schools are being threatened to be eroded in flood water.
Hamidul Haque, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi, said till Tuesday, several thousand people living at char villages of four upazilas of Rajshahi were trapped in flood water. Of them, more than 600 trapped families have been shifted to safe shelters till Tuesday afternoon.
He further said after a meeting of Relief and Disaster Management Committee in Rajshahi on Tuesday, he directed four upazila Nirbahi Officers of the district to ensure a safe shelter for the people affected by flash flood caused due to sudden onrush of water in the Padma.
Our Correspondent from Rangpur writes: Erosion by the river Brahmaputra has taken devastating turn at Ulipur upazila in Kurigram district, devouring around 200 houses at Paler Vita, Nayadara, Kamartari, Dagarkuti and Hatia villages in the upazila during last three weeks.
Besides, a vast tract of crop lands including vegetables fields have been eroded by the river, sources alleged.
Due to massive erosion, hundreds of people have become homeless in the upazila.
A good number of people of the river bank areas are shifting to different places to escape river erosion. Many people of the areas are passing days in anxiety, sources informed.
Locals apprehended colossal loss, if the situation continues for next one or two weeks.
Many affected people said that the erosion took a serious turn engulfing many houses and crop lands during last 10 to 12 days. "Erosion by the river engulfed my house and crop lands," said Azhar Ali (55) of Hatia village. "My homesteads were eroded few days ago. Now my family members have taken refuge in temporary shelters," he added.
Baten Mia (50), of Nayadara village said Brahmaputra has devoured a vast tract of arable lands and dwelling houses during last couple of week. He had one bigha of homestead which was eroded by the river few days before, leaving him a destitute, he lamented.
Source at Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) office, Kurigram said necessary steps have been taken to prevent further erosion of the river in the areas. The work of dumping around six thousands Geo bags is going on in full swing in the areas to prevent erosion, sources added.
Our roving correspondent from Jamalpur adds: Over 500 dwellings at Noyabari, Borokhal, Chordakatia, Kholabari and Charmaguria villages of Chikajani union under Dewanganj upzila of Jamalpur district have been inundated as the water-level of the mighty Jamuna river has increased.
Not only houses, many establishments and a vast area of cropland have been dissolved in the wreckage of the Jamuna River.
Kholabari High School, Kholabari Government Primary School and Darul Ulum Madrasa have been also affected with the flood.
"I have lost 20 bighas of cropland recently," said Asraf Ali of Kholabari village.
Some 50 families have taken shelter on a bridge in the area but they have been suffering for food and pure drinking water, said Tasliam Begum, wife of Chan Mia at Kholabari village.
"If the flood protection embankment is not repaired immediately, more cropland will be eroded", said farmer Abul Mia.
Water Development Board (WDB) constructed flood protection embankment this year at a cost of Tk 5.0 million. The dam has collapsed recently for the flood like situation.
They have taken another project recently to damp some 11,000 geo bags in the affected area by spending Tk 5.5 million from last September. The reconstruction of the dam will be finished within very short time, the WDB officials' expected.

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