Jamuna river erosion in Tangail in the beginning of this rainy season has submerged cultivable land and dwellings in seven villages.
According to Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) sources in Tangail, due to heavy rains, the Jamuna river water level rose resulting in river erosion in Mamudnagar Union of Nagarpur upazila.
Union ward 7 is completely engulfed by the river. Villages affected by the erosion are: Kukuria, Keshob Majhail, Majhail, Shona-majhail, Barbaria, chala-Bakla, and Baniapara, where about 500 families were forced to vacate their homes and lands this year.
To control the damage by reducing the speed of the river current, the authorities have dumped 36000 of Geo bags in 550 meters of the eroded land since June 17, but the improvement is negligible.
Locals say they have sheltered with relatives, or otherwise poor living arrangements. The erosion swallowed large tracts of land this year, including paddy, jute, and peanut fields, and schools, madrasa and mosques in ward 7 of the union.
Karim Sheikh of Kukuria village said: "River erosion over the years has cost me 16 bighas of my cultivatable land. Now I only have my home left."
Abu Sayeed of the same village said his family once owned 150 bighas of land, all of which is now under the Jamuna river.
Many other villagers in the erosion prone areas, like Abdul Hye, Sirajul Islam, Mannan, and freedom fighter Abdul Jalil, say they have lost their properties to the Jamuna river because of annual floods .
Mamudnagar Union Parishad Chairman Majedur Rahman Talukdar said: "If the authorities could build a permanent dam in the river erosion areas, the lands of people in this union could be saved."
Tangail BWDB Executive Engineer Serajul Islam said: "We have proposed a project to the higher authorities to build a permanent dam. Dam construction will commence when the proposal is approved."
