Pabna erosion victims form human chain, demand dyke
Erosion-hit people of Shekherchak and Komorpur villages in Shara union under Ishwardi upazila of Pabna form human chain on the bank of the Padma on Sunday demanding a dyke to stop the mighty river from further erosion.Photo: STAR
Thousands of villagers formed a human chain on the bank of the Padma on Sunday afternoon demanding a 'permanent' embankment in Shara union to stop devouring of their houses and property. The Padma devoured 65 more dwelling houses of Shekherchak and Komorpur villages in Shara union in Ishwardi upazila in the last three days. Official sources said over three hundred dwelling houses in five villages of the union went into the river in the last two months. Shara union parishad chairman Md Jarjis Hossain said the mighty Padma took a serious turn in the last three days and devoured over 65 houses. Massive erosion started again on Thursday and devoured 65 houses in Sheklherchar and Komorpur villages. Several other families in the two villages shifted their houses in fear of erosion, Jarjis said. At least 225 dwelling houses and over 500 bighas of croplands in Shekherchar, Komorpur, Arambaria, Gopalpur, Majhdiarpara and Bilbangi villages washed away in the last two months following the start of massive erosion in August this year, the UP chairman said. Gopalpur mosque, Majhdiarpara mosque and Arambaria temple have gone into the river while more than 20 to 25 institutions are facing the threat of erosion in the villages, he added. “I was a solvent farmer till a few days ago. The devastating Padma devoured my 13 bigha lands and dwelling houses within two days. Erosion has turned me into a pauper", Rupser Ali Khan, an affected villager of Shekherchar village who joined the human chain, said. Like Rupser, thousands other people of Shekherchar, Arambaria, Komorpur, Gopalpur, Majhdiarpara, Bilbangi villages in Shara union have become victims of erosion as the Padma devoured over 3,000 dwelling houses and over 5,000 bighas of cultivable lands of these villages within the last 10 years, the participants said. Contacted, Ishwardi upazila nirbahi officer Md Zakir Hosain admitted the need for a permanent embankment in Shara union. A proposal in this regard has already been submitted to the relevant ministry, the UNO said. Lawmaker of Pabna-4 constituency Samsur Rahman Sarif Dilu said that a move is on for a project for building a permanent embankment. "If the government allocates fund, we shall try to start construction this dry season", he said.
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