At least three people went missing after four houses at Lamchhari area in Charbaria union were completely destroyed by erosion of the Kirtankhola River on Saturday night.
They were Golam Mustafa Shikdar, 60, son of Makbul Shikdar, Hossain Hawladar, 44, son of Bacchu Hawladar, and Giasuddin alias Selim Sardar, 40, son of Jamal Sardar.
Eleven more people also fell in the river at the time but were rescued alive by locals, that night.
“We are searching for the missing men,” said a fire service officer.
Ayub Ali, an activist of the local erosion prevention group Amra Bachte Chai, said erosion in the Kirtankhola had already destroyed more than half-a-kilometre area of crop lands, houses and businesses at Charbaria in the last two weeks.
We tried our best to convey the message to the local authorities that effective steps were needed to prevent rapid erosion of the river but all our words had apparently fallen on deaf ears, he said.
Charbaria Union Parishad Chairman Ziaul Islam Sabu admitted that the locals had called for measures to check erosion, adding that Charbaria, Charabdani and Lamchhari had been the worst victims of this natural phenomenon.
More than 50 structures have already been eroded away while at least 40 others, including shops, houses and institutions, are under severe threat, the chairman added.
Shahidul Alam, deputy commissioner of Barisal, Abdur Rouf Mia, upazila nirbahi officer of Barisal Sadar, and several other local officials visited the area yesterday and said relief goods would be distributed among the affected people.
They also said they would extend support in the rehabilitation process.
Zahiruddin Ahmed, executive engineer of Water Development Board’s Barisal office, said officials concerned had visited the area and would take steps soon.
“Erosion of the Kirtankhola is destroying and affecting new areas every year. A long-term and sustainable river management policy is needed to be implemented to keep the erosion in check. We will take temporary measures to prevent erosion as soon as we are allocated funds,” he added.
