Save Kalasona Char from Jamuna erosion
Demand locals in human chain
Locals including a good number of students form a human chain on the bank of the Jamuna River at Kalasona Char in Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha district yesterday demanding steps to protect the area, now famous for vegetable cultivation, from erosion by the River. Photo: STAR
Cross sections of people including students of Kalasona Char in Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha district yesterday formed a human chain along the bank of Jamuna River, demanding steps to save their farmland and dwellings from devastating erosion. Kalasona Protection Committee that organised the programme also held a press conference at the local primary school ground on Friday. Last year erosion by the Jamuna devoured 350 hectares of cultivable land and a good number of dwelling huts, rendering 300 hundred families shelter less, the convener of committee Nazrul Islam Khan said, reading out a paper at the press conference. Farmers of remote Kalasona Char along Jamuna basin under Fulchari upazila have recently changed their livelihood by producing a variety of crops including boro, chilli, kawn, cheena, garlic, ginger, pumpkin and onion, following initiative by donor agency Practical Action, he said. But the growers face problem to sell their produces to outside areas as a ferry channel touching Kalasona is now on the verge of drying up. Railway wagon ferry transshipment between Balashi and Bahadurabad ghats remains suspended for a few months in the year as Kalasona ferry channel loses navigability during the dry season, speakers said at the conference. The floating depot of diesel oil and kerosene at Balashi ghat becomes also face problem as oil tanker cannot reach through Kalasona point, they said. The speakers urged dumping concrete blocks and erecting groyne in the up stream to save Kalasona from devastating erosion and dredging of the ferry route connecting Kalasona Char for smooth plying of oil tankers and cargo and passenger carrying boats.
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