500 Families Homeless in Gaibandha
Villagers join hands to thwart erosion
Locals render voluntary service to set bamboo pilings and sand bags in an attempt to protect their homesteads at Kamarpara and Baushir Namapara in Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha district as erosion by the Jamuna River has turned over 500 families of the areas homeless during the last one week.Photo: STAR
Erosion by river Jamuna in the last one week devoured scores of homesteads and other establishments and a vast tract of croplands in Kamarpara and Baushi villages in Fulchhari upazila rendering over 500 families shelterless. As there was no initiative by local water development board (WDB) to stop erosion, people of the two villages themselves built bamboo spar and dumped sand bags voluntarily along the erosion point. Many of them spontaneously supplied bamboo and empty bags while others offered physical labour to thwart erosion, said Gazaria UP member Shakawat Hossain Manu. According to WDB, water level of the Jamuna is on steady increase at Fulchari point following heavy downpour and onrush of water from upstream. The water level might cross danger mark any time, they said. The most erosion-affected villages are Ratanpur, Kalasona Char, Singria, Kanchipara, Syedpur, Balashi, Kauabadha, harichandi, Alger Char, Kamarpara, Baushi, Namapara and Katlamari. Erosion has already devoured a large chunk of Eidgah ground while threatening a degree college, a senior madrasa, Baushi primary school, temples and mosques in two villages. Local said, newly elected chairman of Gazaria union Manotosh Roy Mintu asked villagers to join the work to protect their area from erosion on self-help basis. Responding to the call, hundreds came forward with all possible help to build bamboo spar along the erosion point, they said. "First we started work along the 500-feet erosion affected area at Baushi village piling bamboos and dumping sand bags. The work will continue and it will be done in other areas in phases", said Aysha Shiekh, woman member- elect of Gazaria union. In the last one week, local people set up the spar with more then 4,000 pieces of bamboos and dumped over 6 000 sand bags in the affected areas. We are getting spontaneous response from common people and they are helping as per their capacity, said chairman Manotosh Roy. Contacted, executive engineer of Gaibandha WDB told this correspondent that at present they cannot go for erosion control in those areas, because of lack of any scheme and fund constraint. However, we shall submit a proposal for emergency erosion protection work to the higher authorities soon, he said.
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