With the rise in water level of two major rivers, erosion along the banks of four upazilas of the district has increased drastically causing immense suffering for the people residing near the river.
According to local residents, the continuous seasonal rainfall and flow of water from the hills has led to a rise of the water level in the Teesta and Brahmaputra rivers over the past 15days. As a result, .
More than 500 families residing near the banks have lost their homes. Vast tracts of arable lands and academic institutions on lowlands have been submerged due to the rising rivers. Temples, mosques and local bazars near the banks are also under threat of flooding as the water level increases.
The locals expressed concern for their farmlands and crops, as they fear the lands could flood imminently. Additionally, over 3000 families of the char unions of the upazilas, including Horipur, Kapasia, Kamarjani, Mollarchar, Erendabari, Gozaria, Holdia, were marooned, the locals alleged.
Md Mazharul Islam, chairman of Horipur union parishad of Sundarganj upazila, said in the last 15 days at least 200 farms, including 300 acres of arable land in the union were devoured by waters from the Teesta. Furthermore, Hasan Atiqur Rahman, Sundarganj upazila primary education officer, said four primary schools located at Horipur and Kapasia unions have been submerged due to the overflowing Teesta river waters.
Regarding the issue, M Faruqe Hossain, a social worker of Saghata upazila, said officials of the local Water Development Board (WDB) were informed about the scenario on several occasions, but no initiatives to reinforce the riverbanks near the Brahmaputra River had yet been taken.
When contacted by the Dhaka Tribune, Rezaul Mostafa Asrafuddowla, executive engineer of the same WDB said they could not start the riverbank protection work at the vulnerable areas due to a lack of budgetary allocation.
In light of the inaction on the part of the authorities, local residents have taken the initiative to protect the riverbanks. They have emplaced sandbags, reinforced with bamboo near the Gobindi area of the upazila in an effort to protect their homes and farmlands from the overflowing waters of the two rivers.