Erosion takes serious turn in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat
Rangpur city dyke under threat
People of Gangachhara upazila in Rangpur, badly affected by river erosion, are shifting to other places with their household belongings, right, Dharla River eating away cropland and homesteads at Mogholhat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.Photo: STAR
Rain-fed Teesta and Dharla rivers in Rangpur and Lalmonirhat districts took an alarming turn in the last one week, devouring a vast tract of lands and leaving thousands of people marooned. Flash flood due to heavy rainfall in the last nine days left about 30,000 people marooned in eight unions of Gangachhara upazila in Rangpur, reports our correspondent. Besides, around 400 homesteads in Bagdogra of Nohali union of the upazila were devoured by Teesta River in the last five days. Communication between Gangachhara and Mohipur came to a halt as around 300 feet of the road linking the two areas have been washed away. The river is now threatening the Rangpur city protection embankment as it is too close to the road. The Water Development Board (WDB) tried to protect the Gangachhara-Mohipur road by putting bamboo poles and dumping sand bags but failed. Around 30,000 families of Motukpara, Binbinia, Kholear Char, Bagdogra, Char Ichli, Char Nohali and Manush Khaoar Char area of the upazila are living amid flood water. The most affected unions in Gangachhara upazila are Nohali, Kolkond, Alambiditar, Shollmari, Hajipara, Paikan, Mohipur and Morneya. Eight villages of Nohali, Kolkond, Alambiditar and Morneya unions may disappear in the river soon, locals feared. The erosion victims who took shelter on the city protection dyke are now passing their days in misery under the open sky without drinking water and foods as the local administration is yet to arrange any relief for them. In Lalmonirhat, river erosion hit the flood affected areas in the last two days, reports our correspondent. The Teesta and Dharla devoured homesteads, croplands, orchards and important establishments since Friday morning. At least 230 homesteads, 20 orchards and 300 bighas of croplands of 15 villages went into the rivers in Sadar, Aditmari and Hatibandha upazilas, said Lalmonirhat WDB officials. The erosion-hit villages are Mogholhat, Kurul, Bumka, Char Gulaghat, Khuniyagachh, Teesta in Sadar upazila, Balapara, Gobordhon, Majher Char villages in Aditmari upazila and Sindurna, Goddimari, Dhubni, Dawabari, Saniyazan and Paruliya villages in Hatibandha upazila. Erosion by the rivers took an alarming turn following heavy rain for the last several days. In Kurigram, at least 10,000 people of five villages in Nageshwari upazila have been marooned as a portion of an embankment along Noonkhaowa Bazar collapsed due to strong current in the Brahmaputra river on Friday, reports UNB. Shah Jamal, Chairman of Noonkhaowa union parishad under the upazila said, Dakkhin Sarisuri, Uttar Sarisuri, Uddamari, Shantigram and Noonkhaowa villages were flooded following the collapse of 150 meters of the WDB embankment.
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