Steps to stop erosion by Feni River demanded

19 August 2009, 17:00 PM

A Correspondent, Feni

Hundreds of people of Sonagazi yesterday formed a human chain in the district town demanding steps to stop erosion by Feni River and restore its course. They also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner suggesting taking up a pilot channel project at the downstream of Muhuri regulator and its implementation. Defying inclement weather and rain hundreds of men and women from different unions and villages of Sonagazi upazila gathered in the upazila town in the morning. From there they went to Feni town by buses. The human chain programme was held at the Trunk Road around 12:30 pm and continued for about one hour. Later, the participants staged a protest procession and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner. Sonagazi upazila parishad chairman ZM Kamrul Anam, Sonagazi municipal mayor Jamal Uddin Sentu, upazila Awami League general secretary Shamsul Arefin, upazila BNP president Joynal Abedin, Jamaat leader Md Kalim Ullah, leader of the River Erosion Prevention Committee Zahirul Alam spoke at the human chain programme. The speakers said when the Muhuri dam was built and regulator set up on the Feni River in 1984, the water flow of the main river changed direction due to the regulator. As the flow was not restored to previous state, the river continued to erode every year during the rainy season. In the process, the regulator moved about 8 km westward. They said crores of taka is wasted every year in the name of preventing river erosion while the river could be straightened spending only Tk 1 crore.