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Erosion of the river Jamuna

75,000 people landless, homeless in five thanas of Sirajganj

From Our Correspondent
SIRAJGANJ. Sept 20: The continuous and devastating erosion of the river Jamuna has rendered thousands of people in the river belt, thanas of the district landless and homeless.
The affected thanas are: Kazlpur, Sirajganj. Sadar, Belkuchi, Chowhall and Sha-hzadpur.
About 75,000 landless and homeless people have so far taken shelter on the Brahmaputra Flood Embankment and have been passing Inhuman life there.
During the current season. 18 villages of five riverine thanas have been washed away by the Jamuna. About 30,000 people of the villagers including the children and women have taken shelter on different high lands like the flood control embankment popularly known as Kapda Bandh.
Other than the houses and crop lands, about 200 handloom factories of Belkuchi. Chowhall and Shahzadpur have also been eroded rendering about 50.000 handloom work ers Jobless.
Most of the erosion affected helpless people have been passing their days under the open sky. No relief materials has be^n distributed among the victim and there is no official arrangement for shelter or rehabilitation for them.
The people who have taken
shelter on bandh have been suffering from various tntestl nal diseases including dysen tery and diarrhoea for want of pure drinking water. Besides. Jaundice has been broken out In the areas. Most of the peo pie are to pass their days tn half-fed condition as there Is work and other sources of income.
No step has yet been taken to arrest the erosion in the af fee ted areas. A source of the Bangladesh Water Develop ment Board (BWDB) informs this correspondent that for want of requisite fund, steps to arrest erosion could not be taken.
It can be mentioned here that the then Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) constructed a 135 mile long embankment In the middle of sixties from Doikhawa (Kurigram) to Bherakhola (Pabna).
At feast 70 points of the embankment have been dam aged by the erosion. After erosion every year, the damaged embankment are constructed spending lakhs of taka but the situation remain unchanged.
At present, the embank ment has turned into a clumsy area as thousands of eroded people have taken -shelter od it. A large number of shops have also been constructed on it.
Following the situation.
maintenance work of the embankment including the afforestation programme is being hampered much. Both sides of the embankment have become partly damaged at many places buses and trucks have been plying on inter-thana routes.
The "'embankment at Sarlakandi (Bograh Kazlpur, Sirajganj Sadar. Belkuchi, Chowhall and Bera is threatened and severe damages are causing by ' heavy rush of houses, shops and vehicular traffic
No measures have yet been taken to protect the Brahmaputra Flood Control Embankment from such continuous damage
Meanwhile, about 300 families of Pancthakurl and Bhatpiary villages of sadar thana were rendered homeless by the erosion of the river Jamuna during the 24 hours of September 18
A WDB source said that water level In the river Jamuna registered arise of 40 centimetre .at Sirajganj point during the same period.
Il Is apprehended that standing crops on vast tract of land, many dwelling houses, schools and madrashas of Pnchthakuri and Bhatpiarl vil-Ingcs will be devoured within next two days if the erosion continues al the present rate.
Earlier, parts of Matlarpur
and Charsimfa villages of sadar thana were also devoured rendering 600 families homeless.
Faridpur
Our Correspondent from Faridpur reports: About 10.000 people of two thanas of the district have been rendered homeless by the erosion of the river Padma during last few days.
According to official sources. Charshlvpur. Dheuk-hall. Narkclbaria and Akotere-har unions under Char-bhadrasan thana, four villages of Sadarpur thana have already been devoured by the Padma during the last few days.
Md. Nurul Huda. Deputy Commissioner. Faridpur Informed thi^ correspondent that one high school, one community centre, one UP office and one welfare centre at Charnasirpur union have been eroded by the Padma. He also said that Planjkhalf Bazar under Charnasirpur Tias also been washed away in the meantime.
Majority of the homeless people have taken shelter on the flood embankment and they have been passing hard days in the absence of any kind relief, it Is informed.
The authorities concerned have been urged to take immediate steps to mitigate the sufferings of hundreds of the erosion affected people of different areas of the district.