Brahmaputra erosion takes alarming turn in Gaibandha

The Brahmaputra River devoured vast areas of five villages in Fulchhari upazila of the district in the last five days, rendering over 550 families shelterless.

With the recession of water level in the river, erosion has taken an alarming turn in the areas, engulfing croplands, homesteads, tree and plants at Katakgacha, Ziadanga, Gajaria, Galna and Gajondanga villages.

While visiting erosion-hit Ziadanga village, this correspondent saw a woman, Ashma Begum, of the village asking for help to remove her hut from the erosion point. But nobody heeded her appeal because the hut was on the verge of being eroded.

Abdul Kader, Mainul Huq, Nur Islam, Abdul Barek and Ali Akbar of the same village narrated their bitter experience of erosion. Many of them even could not remove their sheds and other structures, as erosion hit the areas by night, they said.

"We spent sleepless nights shifting our belongings, including tin-sheds, houses, hedges and other structures," said Abdul Kader, a victim of erosion.

Freedom fighter Omar Ali, 72, of Katakgacha village said over 100 families used to reside adjacent to the river bank, of which 65 families have already shifted to other places after losing their homesteads. The remaining people are shifting their belongings to other places, he added.

This year, over 800 families have lost their homesteads and croplands due to continued erosion. Locals tried to stop erosion by dumping sandbags and erecting bamboo pilings on self-help basis, but surging water washed way all the structures, said Monotosh Roy Mintu, chairman of Gajaria union parishad.

A master plan is needed to protect the villages along the Brahmaputra River. Although the Water Development Board has taken up some programmes, those have not helped in controlling erosion, said Habibur Rahman, chairman of Fulchhari upazila parishad.