Erosion in the Padma River has taken an alarming turn in Rajbari, as it has already forced 1,500 families from 15 villages, under two upazilas of the district, to leave their houses, while with the fall in water level villages within the district are becoming more vulnerable.
A Water Development Board source said the water level had started receding after 20 days of swelling. However, the strong current started to erode the river bank, cropland, houses and other infrastructures, the source added.
During a recent visit to Char Habaspur, Habaspur, Sha-mirpur, Natunpara, Charpara, and Machpara of Pangsha upazila, and Bethuri, Shajapur, Chardelundi and Betka village under the Debogram union in Goalondo upazila, this correspondent found people, who had taken shelter in several makeshift houses, were leading miserable life for want of relief and aid. They were also facing an acute crisis of drinking water due to lack of a tube-well, along with numerous sanitation problems.
Some families, who had been passing their days in makeshift houses on the embankment for the last 10 days, said they had been passing their days miserably and claimed that they were yet to receive any relief or assistance from the local union parishad authorities.
Sukur Ali, a victim of Padma erosion, told this correspondent that the erosion devoured several houses in five different villages, while Abdul Karim, another erosion victim from Char Habaspur, said the erosion had rendered a minimum of 70 families, from the villages, homeless in the last ten days.
Mofizul Islam of Delundi village said a large number of people have already left their houses fearing further onslaught of the river and taken shelter at their relatives’ houses in different villages.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Debogram union Mohammad Ator Ali Sarder said the river had devoured a large number of houses under his union, and alleged that no steps had been taken despite having informed the concerned authorities about their conditions.
When contacted, Rajbari Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mohammad Abdul Awoal said they had sent a letter to the higher authorities seeking funds to cope up with the situation.
