The Brahmaputra River has eroded around 200 dwelling houses along with an eidgah (open-air prayer gathering place) at Fulchari village in Gaibandha in last two days.
Local sources said more than 500 people of the area as well as Fulchari Degree College, Fulchari Senior Madrasa and two temples are at risk of being devoured by the river.
Homeless families are living subhumane life after losing everything they owned. Local people are fearing that they might be marooned further as Paubor flood control dam might collapse at any time. They said the river consumed 200 metres area within a matter of seconds on Thursday midnight.
Before they could comprehend the incoming danger, families of Maya Rani Modok, Nondoram Das, Nogen Chandra Das, Noni Mohon, Shombhu Karmakar. Nipen Das, Sanatan Das and ten other families lost their land, house and everything else they owned.
Nipen Das said: “Everything I owned is now in the bed of the river. Where are we going to stay?”
Noni Mohon said unless immediate action was not taken to stop the erosion, Kamarpara and Goharia union will be wiped off the map forever.
Gozaria union chairman Monotosh Rai Mintu said suddenly on Tuesday evening Brahmaputra eroded the eidgah within a few minutes.
The houses adjacent to the eidgah are in grave danger including Fulchari-Barmotair connecting road which will disrupt communication infrastructure of the area. Local schoolteacher Alam Master said if the erosion continues, soon there will be no more houses left – all will be devoured by the river. He demanded immediate measures to check the river erosion.
Gaibandha Water Development Board Executive Engineer Abdul Auwal Miah said primary steps have been taken to stop the overall erosion and urgent measures have been taken to save Syria point dam from being destroyed.