Erosion: 3000 made homeless in a week in Netrakona

At least 800 houses and about 2000 acres of land have been devoured by the river in last seven days, rendering over 3000 people homeless. The victims have taken shelter in high lands, flood shelters or neighbouring villages.

During a visit to the areas this correspondent found that about 400 families have shifted their houses to safer places.

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Local people dumped sandbags and tried to protest the areas by erecting structures made of bamboo and timber, but all their attempts went in vain due to strong current of the rivers.

Najirgonj Bazar was once a big market in Atpara upazila. But the river has devoured two thirds of it.

Over 400 families used to live in Mirzapur village in Atpara upazila four years ago. But the river Mogra devoured 500 acres of land, leaving 250 families homeless.

Local people claimed that they urged the authorities several times to build a four kilometre Mogra river protection dam from Najirgonj to Sunajur Bazar in Atpara upazila and a five kilometre dam from Fakirar Bazar to Dashder in Barhatta upazila to protect areas from erosion by Kongsha river. But nothing has been done, they said.

Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer in Netrakona Mohammad Alauddin, when contacted said WDB has no dam construction project in the areas.