Bangladesh loses 3000 acres to India in Zakiganj
Dams in upstream change courses of Surma and Kushiyara rivers
Erosion by Surma River continues devouring lands in Manikpur union in Zakiganj upazila under Sylhet.Photo: STAR
Bangladesh is losing territory in Zakiganj border as the two rivers are changing their courses continually, devouring areas in the country and creating landmasses across the border. "The country has been losing land as common rivers Surma and Kushiyara in Sylhet continue to change their courses, shifting from the original borderline due to erosion", Water Development Board Superintending Engineer here Md. Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan told the Daily Star yesterday after visiting Zakiganj border. According to 1974 Border Treaty, signed between India and Bangladesh, the borderline passes through the midstream of the two common rivers. The two rivers, having their origin from Barak river in northeastern India, have changed courses and now flow inside Bangladesh. Bangladesh lost over more than 3,000 acres over the years following erosion by Surma and Kushiyara rivers only, official sources said. Locals in the area however said the lands lost would not be below 4,000 acres. Due to erosion by Kushiyara and changes in its course, more than 900 acres of land in Majorgaon, Amolshid, Lakshmibazar, Sultanpur, Senapatirchak and Manikpur have become part of Indian state of Assam. Surma caused loss of about 250 acres in Ballah, Uttarkul, Munshibazar and Dighli. In 2005, India agreed to a Bangladesh proposal to conduct a joint study of the border and the rivers but there has not been any headway in this regard allegedly due to a lukewarm response by Indian authorities, said WDB officials in Sylhet. Erosion by the rivers continues in border areas as their embankments on Bangladesh side remain unprotected while dams and groins have been constructed at different points at the upstream in India. But the worst is yet to come, they said. Bangladesh will lose vast lands when Surma and Kushiyara will change their course dramatically and cause unprecedented erosion after construction of Tipaimukh dam on Barak river in the upstream is completed, they said. India is constructing the dam about 100 kilometres upstream to generate hydroelectricity. If implemented, the mega project will destroy the region's ecology, agriculture as well as livelihood, they apprehended. This correspondent recently visit Amolshid border area in Zakiganj, where Borak enters into Bangladesh and is divided into two streams --Surma and Kushiara. About 20 vulnerable points were seen on Kushiara and Surma embankments, which need immediate revetment to check erosion. Shamsuddin, 55, of Uttarbag village said his family lost 20 acres of land and three houses due to erosion. People of Harinagar in India occupied the lands which earlier belonged to people in Oligarh village in Bangladesh, they said. Over 30 families so far lost their lands but did not got those back. Chairman of Barothakuri Union Parishad Nasir Uddin said there has been serious erosion at Bhaktipur and Pillakandi villages for the last few days. “We informed WDB officials, but to no effect”, one of the villagers said. Talking to this correspondent, a senior official of WDB in Sylhet said a project has been prepared and sent to higher authorities to protect the bank of Kushiara from Haidaraband to Bhuiyan Mora point on an emergency basis, but it is yet to be approved. “If we fail to take protection measures timely, the country will lose more lands by floods during the coming rainy season as the rivers are getting silted due to intervention in their flows at the upstream”.
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