Erosion devours 400 homesteads in two upazilas of Rangpur
Erosion by the Teesta devouring Char Tambulpur village under Tambulpur union in Pirgachha upazila in Rangpur. At least 350 homesteads went into the river in the last two weeks.Photo: STAR
Erosion by the rivers Teesta and Jamuneshswari devoured around 400 homesteads and over 550 acres of cropland in Pirgachha and Taraganj upazilas in the last two weeks. At least 350 houses at four villages in Chaola and Tambulpur unions under Pirgachha were eroded by Teesta during the period. The affected villages are Char Tambulpur, Char Chawla, Char Rahmat and Shibdeb Char, said Water Development Board (WDB) sources. Over 500 acres of cultivable land also went under the river, said locals. The erosion damaged at least 250 meters of cross dam in Shibdeb Char area, said Nazir Hossain, chairman of Chawla union Parishad. Abdus Shahid, executive engineer of WDB, Rangpur, said “We have sent a letter to the higher authorities seeking fund to rebuild the dam”. Away in Taraganj, around 50 homesteads at10 villages in Hariakuthi and Kursha unions were devoured by the Jamuneshsyari River in the last one month. The affected villages are Rahimapur, Ghanirampur, Jhakuapara, Mandolpara, Kashiabari, Boraty, Kumarpara, Narayanjan, Balapara and Jalubar. About 50 acres of cropland were also washed away by the river. A non-government primary school, a high school and two mosques in the areas are now under the threat of erosion. Anwar Hossain, 50, of Kashiabari village, said “The river devoured my homestead and cropland turning me into a pauper”. Kumaresh Roy, chairman of Hariakuthi union, said a 200-meter road from Ikerchali Bazar to Kashiabari Bazar at Panchani village went under the river water, causing immense sufferings to the villagers.
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