S DILIP ROY, Lalmonirhat

Residents of two shoal areas along the Teesta riverbed in Lalmonirhat used to endure the hardships of flooding. This year, the situation is quite different. Floodwaters failed to breach their elevated homesteads.

In a concerted effort, substantial amounts of earth were deposited to elevate the ground, creating level surfaces within their homesteads. Houses were then relocated to the upland.

Among the beneficiaries of this initiative is Hawa Begum from Talpatti Char in the Khuniagach union, Sadar upazila. The 40-year-old possesses assets but only a homestead on five decimals of land. Over the past couple of years, she, like others in her situation, endured significant hardships during flooding. Fortunately, this year, they found refuge in their raised homesteads.

Similar to Hawa Begum, this initiative has come to the aid of Roksana Begum, 35, Rupali Begum, 40, Nasima Begum, 38, and Rabeya Begum, 42, all of whom own homesteads on the same char.

These homesteads were elevated approximately four feet above ground level with the support of a non-governmental organisation (NGO). Fruit and vegetable gardens, as well as trees, were planted on these homesteads. Even though floodwaters surrounded the plinths of these homesteads this year, they remained unaffected. Neighbouring flood victims also found shelter in these raised homesteads.

Hawa Begum expressed her gratitude, saying, “We are now safe from floods thanks to this initiative. Previously, we had to abandon our homes and seek shelter every year during floods. Now, we can live safely at home during floods and even rear cows and goats.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Saleha Begum, 46, Rahima Begum, 40, and Jahana Begum, 45, who also received elevated homesteads in clusters at Rajpur Char in the upazila.

Mofazzal Hossain, chairman of Rajpur Union Parishad, credited NAZIR, the NGO, for their efforts in raising these homesteads. He emphasised the urgent need for more homesteads to be elevated to benefit the residents of the char.

Khairuzzaman Mandal, chairman of Khuniagach Union Parishad, echoed this sentiment, noting that approximately 60 percent of people in his union are flood-affected.

In these remote areas, there are no embankments to save the locals from floods, lamented the public representatives.

Through the Extended Community Climate Change-Flood project, a total of 525 homesteads in 20 villages of Rajpur and Khuniagach unions in Lalmonirhat have been elevated along the Teesta River shoal.

Each beneficiary received an investment of Tk 25,000 for raising their homesteads. NAZIR implemented the project with funding from the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). Ashish

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