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Hundreds become homeless as rivers devour villages in Netrakona, C'nawabganj

Rain-fed Someshwari, Padma swell up, threaten thousands more

Star National Desk
With swelling of rain-fed Padma and Someshwari rivers in Chapainawabganj and Netrakona districts, hundreds of people have become homeless in a couple of days.
Vast areas of cropland and a number of establishments including educational institutions are facing threats due to the erosion.
Erosion has taken a serious turn along the banks of Someshwari River in bordering Durgapur upazila in Netrakona district due to sudden swelling of the river during the last three days due to torrential rain and rolling down of water from hilly areas in India.
Someshwari River in bordering Durgapur upazila in Netrakona district has devoured at least 200 dwelling houses and 500 acres of cropland m last three days rendering more then 800 people homeless, reports our Netrakona correspondent.
During a visit to the areas, this correspondent saw people shifting to safer places as a vast tract of land at Shibganj, Dakumara, Kamarkhali and Birishiri villages on the bank of Someshwari River was consumed by the river.
Local people's attempt to protect the areas by dumping sandbags, bamboo and timbers failed due to the strong current of the river.
In the rainy season every year, the area sees serious erosion by the river that has devoured two-thirds of Kamarkhali Bazar in Durgapur upazila in last three years.
Two hundred fifty families of Ranikong village in Durgapur upazila have turned homeless and landless in last four years as Someshwari River engulfed 500 acres of land. Locals said they urged the authorities concerned on several occasions to build a six-kilometre erosion protection ^tpbanknjent,on the river banks but in vain.
When contacted. Mohammad
Didarul Alam, executive engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board Netrakona, said they submitted a project on erosion prevention embankment on Someshwari River but the higher authorities are yet to approve it.
A Correspondent reports from Chapainawabganj: Over 100 families have become homeless in Chandranarayanpur, Bakhor Ali, Suryanarayanpur, Alimnagar of Sundarpur, Narayanpur and Gharbagd^ngajirunps under Sadar upazila in the district
The erosion devoured around 250 acres of croplands in five villages of Sadar upazila.
Many people of the area have moved to safer places like roads, higher lands and embankment.
The erosion on the bank of Padma has put several hundred structures and establishments including schools, madrasas, mosques, a union health complex, a flood shelter centre and two BDR border outposts under threat, sources said.
During a visit to different affected areas including Chapdranara-yanpur, Suryanarayanpur, Nawabzaigir, Bakhorali and Alimna-
gar in Sadar upazila, this correspondent found many families moving to safer places.
EntazAli, 50, Monirul Islam, 45, and Afzal Hossain, 55, of Suryanarayanpur said, they moved their home several times during last 5-7 years.
Fazlur Rahman, a UP member of Sundarpur union, urged the authorities concerned to take measures to protect thousands of people and huge properties including vast croplands, a good jriumber of establishments and flood protection embankment.