CHANDPUR. Aug 7: Erosion by the River Meghna at Haimchar has been continuing alarmingly for the last several days.

According to Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). Chandpur office sources, about 500 metres’ area of CIP embankment has been devoured in the Meghna at Taskerkhand and Char Bhairabi points. So the existence of the embankment has already been endangered.

CIP’s main embankment is located in Haimchar on the bank of the River Meghna. About two thousand acres of land were eroded within one month and about 10 thousand people rendered homeless. These people have taken shelter on the CIP embankment. They are living a sub-human life on the embankment. Relief and other helps are yet to reach them.

The erosion is not only threatening the CIP embank-

ment. but it is also threatening the existence of 200 years old thana headquarters. About sixty percent areas of Haimchar thana has already been eroded.

Md Aminul Islam, Executive

Engineer. BWDB. told this correspondent that the protection work is progressing rapidly in the affected areas. Blocks were dumped in the eroded area. The government sanction is too meagre to protect the embankment from the recurring erosion. BWDB has suggested a plan to protect CIP at a cost of Tk 50 crore.

The BWDB officials are now working round the clock to repair the cracks on the embankment.

The district administration and the BWDB authority appealed to the ministry concerned and the authorities concerned about the alarming condition of CIP. An emergency meeting was held recently in the DC s office to find out the ways and means if the embankment is eroded. People within CIP are panicky. Some people within the embankment area have already taken shelter on the embakment and other higher lands.