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River erosion to make 29,000 homeless by next one year: Study

Staff Correspondent
Around 29,000 people living along the banks of Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Padma rivers will be rendered homeless by next one year due to riverbank erosion, a research organisation working with river and water resources forecast yesterday.
A study report of the Center for Environment and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) also said 2,840 hectares of land, 450 hectares of settlement, 150 metre of embankment, 1,860 metres of district road, 490 metres of upazila road and 3,750 metres of rural road are vulnerable to erosion along the three rivers.
Besides, a total of 31 educa-
tional institutions, 11 market places, 10 government offices, three non-govemment offices and two health centres are also threatened byerosion.
The prediction report on river-bank erosion along the Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Padma rivers, 2008 was revealed at a seminar titled 'Proactive Disaster Risk Reduction through Erosion Prediction' at Dhaka Sheraton organised by the CEGIS.
The report was prepared basing on field visits, satellite images and data on the past fewyears' erosion.
"About 29,000 people will lose their homes due to erosion of mighty Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Padma in the next one year," CEGIS
Head Morphologist M Maminul Haque Sarker said presenting the prediction study. These rivers erode thousands of hectares of floodplain every year leaving many without a roof over their head, he added.
In 2007, the three rivers swallowed up about 3,970 hectares of land, 530 hectares of settlement. 1,930 metre of embankment, 2,020 metres of district road and 2,390 metres of rural road.
"Besides, these rivers also devoured 40 educational institutions, nine market places, five government offices, one nongovernment office and two health centres during the period,” he pointed out.-
Water Resources Adviser Dr CS Karim said riverbank erosion is not only devouring lands, houses, roads and settlements, but also damaging the historical heritage. “In last one year, 40 educational institutions, including 100-year old schools, were washed away," he mentioned while addressing the seminar as the chief guest.
He suggested involving local community people into the prevention measures taken by government and development agencies.
Terming the riverbank erosion as a silent killer, Hua Du, country director of Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the river erosion is taking a serious turn day by day because ofrapid changes in climate.
"According to a UN report, climate change could affect more than 70 million people in Bangladesh,” she said addressing the seminar as special guest.
ADB has approved $220 million emergency disaster damage rehabilitation project for rehabilitation and restoring the damaged infrastructures, she added
CEGIS Executive Director Giasuddin A Choudhury, Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) Chief Technical Adviser and Team Leader Ian Rector, Water Development Board Director General Mozaddad Faruque and CEGIS Head Quality Control Division Ehsan Hafiz Chowdhury also addressed the seminar.