Madhumati erosion turns worse in Bagerhat

Erosion by the river Madhumati has taken a turn for the worse devouring lands and homesteads in Chitalmari upazila for the last couple of days, leaving many families homeless and landless.

During a recent visit to the upazila, a correspondent of news agency UNB found part of Dhaka-Pirojpur road at Shoiladah village in the upazila eroded by the river, disrupting traffic.

Several business establishments, dwelling houses and shops at Shoiladah village in the vicinity of the river have gone into its gorge over the last couple of days.

Locals said three dwelling houses, five business establishments, shops, trees and croplands have disappeared in the river over the last few days.

They fear that hundreds of houses, one local market and educational institutions will go into the gorge of the river anytime if the riverbank erosion continues and the authorities concerned do not take any initiative to check it.

Shikder Matiar Rahman, chairman of Kalatala union, said thousands of houses in Shoiladah, Charkulia, Machandapur, Bakpur and Paranpur villages, 50 bighas of land, thousands of trees disappeared into the river over the last few years.

He demanded that a sustainable embankment be constructed there on an emergency basis.

Alamin Sheikh, a trader of Shoiladah Bazar, said he has lost his shop as the erosion has taken a serious turn in the last several days.

Abdus Sobahan, a village doctor, said part of his dwelling house and chamber were eroded by the river on Tuesday.

SM Refat Jamil, the executive engineer of Bagerhat branch of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), said a vast track of land in Shoiladah village along the river stands threatened by erosion.

He said the higher authorities concerned have been informed through a fax message as 90 metres of Dhaka-Pirojpur road has gone into the river.

Jamil said a project to build an embankment has been taken to check the erosion.

Contacted, deputy commissioner of the district Tapan Kumar Biswas said necessary measures will be taken to check the river erosion in the area.