Madhumati erosion renders 75 families homeless in Gopalganj

GOPALGANJ, Oct 01: Erosion by the Madhumati River has taken an alarming turn in an area stretching from Echakhali to Dhalitala of Jalalabad union under Sadar Upazila of the district in recent times.

According to sources at the Water Development Board (WBD) Gopalganj office, a total of 75 families of the area have been left homeless by the erosion onslaughts, and affected families have taken shelter in safer places.

Some of the victims have taken shelter in relatives' and neighbours' houses, where they are passing days in misery due to suffering from heavy rains as well.

In the face of incessant river erosion, valuable trees, houses, roads and other structures are also being lost. As a result, the number of homeless people is increasing day by day.

In this circumstance, the people living by the riverside are panicking.

Md. Tipu Sheikh, 62, a resident of Dhalitala village under Jalalabad union of Sadar Upazila, said he has lost his ancestral home in the gorge of the eroding Modhumati River.

At one stage, Tipu added, "I have nowhere to take shelter with my family. Now I am living in neighbours' and relatives' houses."

When contacted, SM Refat Jamil, executive engineer of the WDB, Gopalganj, told the FE, "We have taken an emergency programme to dump geotextile bags to check erosion in the affected areas."

"Besides, we have submitted a development project proposal for the arrangement to permanently protect the river embankment, extending about 2.50 kilometres from Eachakhali Sikderpara," the executive engineer said.

On the other hand, Mohammad Kamruzzaman, deputy commissioner of Gopalganj, Md Ehsanul Haque, executive engineer, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Gopalganj, and Refat Jamil, executive engineer of the WDB, Gopalganj, visited the spot and discussed with the local people on the possible ways to check erosion by the Madhumati River.

Lutfur Rahman Sikder, a local union parishad member, told the FE that a large number of houses and trees, domestic animals and roads were damaged by river erosion in the last three years and about 200 families have also taken shelter in different areas of the union and some have shifted to the other side of the river.

He also said if the river erosion continues unabated like this, the whole village will one day be swallowed up by the river.

In this circumstance, local people have urged the relevant authorities to take immediate steps to alleviate their suffering.

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