Unremitting river erosion puts villagers in fear

Unrelenting soil erosion by the river Dhonagoda, a tributary of the Meghna, has created a constant panic for around 10,000 people living at the three riverbank villages in Baganbari union of Matlab Uttar upazila of the district.

The villages are facing the dreadful river erosion living inside the area of the 60-km long Meghna-Dhonagoda Irrigation Project and Flood Control Dam-one of the biggest irrigation projects and flood control dams in the country.

There are 14 unions of the upazila that fall within the area of the dam, along with three unions of Matlab Dakhshin upazila.

However, the erosion affected villages are Hapania, Khaguria and Nobipur- all under Baganbari union just beside the Dhonagoda River. Meanwhile, a vast tract of land has been devoured by the river.

According to Chand Mia, a local elite and also ex-UP member, erosion by the river has been going on with a bigger fury for the past three to four weeks.

To control the erosion rage, sand bags were dumped at the affected site earlier.

The erosion is threatening the flood control dam of the Meghna-Dhonagoda Irrigation Project.

During a recent visit, this correspondent observed that river erosion was devouring a vast area of land, including crop fields, along the south-east side of the river while two km areas were under constant threat of fresh erosion at Khaguria village.

Fatema Begum and Shafiqul Islam, both residents of the village, said river erosion has already devoured vast areas in the past few years.

Since the latest spell of erosion started, people have been passing days and nights amid panic. The government has not yet taken any concrete measure to check erosion at the vulnerable point, villagers alleged.

Meanwhile, many families have been displaced by the river erosion and have shifted to safer places bag and baggage.

Several hundred other people of the villages are in constant panic due to the erosion fury. They are mostly poor and work hard for just living hand to mouth.

Getting informed, Executive Engineer Md Selim Shahed, who is in charge of the Meghna-Dhonagoda Irrigation Project, along with other officials recently visited the vulnerable points of river erosion and reported the matter to the higher authorities.

Contacted, the executive engineer told the FE, ''When government fund will be allocated, the protection work will start. Till then, we must wait.''

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