With the fall of water level in the Brahmaputra, river erosion has taken a serious turn at the Kapasia union under Sundarganj upazila, Gaibandha in the last couple of days creating anxiety among the river basin people.
An Ashrayan project which was built at the Badamer Char area of the union in 2009 is currently under threat and in vulnerable condition. If precautionary measures are not taken immediately, it can disappear anytime due to the unabated erosion by the river.
According to sources, water level of the river increased sharply after a few days of torrential rainfall and a rush of hilly waters from the upstream. The river was 26 cm above the danger level at Fulchharighat point on Friday, inundating chars (shoals) and river basin areas of the union, BSS reporter.
However, the water level of the river started to decrease and river erosion took a serious turn at both sides of the Brahmaputra including Kaziarchar, Uzan Bural, Vati Bural, West Lalchamar and East Lalchamar of the union.
The Ashrayan project rehabilitated a total of 130 landless families five years ago at the initiative of the administration.
Meanwhile, a portion of the project has been engulfed by the river leaving at least 20 families homeless.
Lalu Miah, a dweller of the project, said like others, the tin shed house allotted to him was washed away by the strong currents of the river on Sunday, and the situation has created a sense of anxiety among the other dwellers of the project.
To save the project from erosion, the upazila administration and union parishad are working together and dumping sand bags and piling bamboos.
M Manzu Miah, chairman of Kapasia union parishad, said they had communicated with the officials of Water Development Board (WDB) of the area several times, seeking their cooperation to save the project from the erosion but the area’s WDB officials showed little concern which led the local administrations to take matters into their own hands.
The chairman also lauded the initiatives of the administration since Deputy Commissioner Dr Quazi Anwarul Haque and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ahsan Habib were monitoring the overall activities to save the project from the catastrophe.
When contacted, WDB Executive Engineer Rezaul Mostafa Asafuddowla said they were unable to start the development work to protect the project from the erosion due to fund constraints.
