Local people have set up a unique example with their voluntary work to save different places from the Kirtankhola River erosion at Charbaria point area of the district.
According to sources, recently the erosion took serious turn at different places along the bank of the river at the point rendering hundreds of families homeless and landless.
Rapidly advancing erosion endangered surface water treatment plant, ferry ghat, ice-factory, shipyard in Beltala, Singherkathi, and Taltali-Lamchhari road under Charbaria union.
To protect the area from the erosion, the locals took a decision recently to conduct development work at the vulnerable areas of the upazila to check erosion. Accordingly, the locals have started piling with bamboos and dumping sacks of sand on voluntary basis.
Yunus Mia organised the initiative with the help of Sarfuddin, Anwar Mia, Suruj Hossain, Miraj, Ejaj and other local people of Lamchhari area after Water Development Board (WBD) failed.
They made a bamboo fence at the erosion point to prevent washing away the sand and geo-bags.
Suruj Mia, one of the volunteers said: “We are trying our best to save ourselves from eroding away by using our limited capabilities.”
The situation became dangerous at 26 points of the rivers Kirtankhola, Meghna, Arial Kha, Sandhya, Sugandha, Tentulia, and Karkana under greater Barisal district, he said.
Zahiruddin Ahmed, executive engineer of WBD said only Tk3 core had been sanctioned after submitting two proposals of Tk46 crore to protect river erosion in 4600 meter area of the Kirtankhola River at Charbaria and Charkawa points.
He said: “The initiative taken by the people will inspire us.”
Saidur Rahman Rintu of Sadar upazila chairman: “The pressure of the down stream has made situation worst.”
“A long term sustainable river management policy needs to control the situation,” he said.