Erosion, Flood
'Build pucca dam on western bank of Jamuna'
While the Jamuna continues eroding its bank at Khokshabari in Sirajganj, children, unaware of the danger, play on the brink of devoured land.Photo: STAR
People in nine upazilas here urged the government to build a pucca embankment on the western bank of the Jamuna stretching from Sirajganj town to Kazipur upazila for protecting lives and property from the scourge of erosion and flood. The upazilas are Sirajganj Sadar, Belkuchi, Chowhaili, Kamarkhanda, Shahzadpur, Ullapara, Raiganj, Tarash and Kazipur. People ventilated their sufferings and expressed their long-felt demand to this correspondent during his seven-day visit to the erosion and flood-affected areas recently. During the period, this correspondent talked to people from all walks of life including teachers, rickshaw pullers, traders, government and non-government officials. At least 7 lakh people of the nine upazilas were affected badly by recurring flood this year. Thousands of people in the area are still homeless and workless. They are passing days in misery either half fed or ill-fed, Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said. Besides, after recession of floodwater, continuous river erosion in the area turned them pauper. As per statistics of BWDB and district administration, at least 1,000 homesteads and 400 hectares of croplands of five upazilas like Kazipur, Sirajganj Sadar, Belkuchi, Shahzadpur and Chowhali devoured in the river last week as the erosion took a serious turn in the winter. Affected people in the area demanded of the government to start work for a permanent dam in the beginning of the winter season and finish work before the rainy season. BWDB sources said because of erosion and flood most portion of the 78.89-kilometre flood control embankment stretching from Verakhola of Shahzadpur to Kazipur were damaged. This year, crops on a vast tract of land, property, roads, bridges, culverts and establishments damaged thrice due to recurrent flood in nine upazilas in the district. Of them, the worst affected areas are Kazipur, Sirajganj Sadar, Belkuchi, Chowhali and Shahzadpur upazila.
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