Jamuna erosion renders many people homeless

Raaz Mostafa:

Hundreds of people, who lost their homesteads by the severe erosion of Jamuna river in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj district have been leading miserable life due to lack of shelter.

With the loss of homesteads, they have also lost their affordability to establish new houses on appropriate lands for want of adequate income. As a result, many of them along with women and children have been passing days and nights under open sky despite rain, storm and even heavy sunshine, locals said.

Victims’ said, river erosion had been taken serious turn at different places of the six kilometer stretch from Brahmangram village to Hatpachil area of the upazila last year due to lack of riverbank protection dam.

Though, the government under supervision of WDB in Sirajganj had taken a riverbank protection project stretching the mentioned 6km area involving at around Tk 647crore in 2021, the work did not progress as per expectation within the deadline due to extreme negligence of the concerned contractors and WDB officials.

The involved persons passed year after year showing several pleas like corona pandemic, fund crisis and price hike of construction materials. Therefore, the project deadline and allocation were extended several times.

In the meantime, erosion took serious turn in last year rainy season and the mighty river Jamuna devoured over 200 homesteads, vast tract of croplands and several other installations in Brahmangram, Jalalpur, Arkandi, Monakosa, Pachil and Hatpachil area in the upazila putting several hundreds of people in distress.

Those affected people became displaced and took shelter at makeshift houses in different places for temporary period. But, their situation has now worsened as they have not yet been become able to turn around due to lack of patronizations.

As a result, they, who once were known as rich people in the society, have now been leading inhuman life along with their family members including children and elderly men due to extreme poverty.

Finding no way, several hundreds of people, who lost their everything by the river erosion, came down on road on Saturday last and formed a human chain at Hatpanchil Wapda Dam in the upazila demanding shelter and rehabilitation.

Women, children and even elderly citizens of the areas also participated in the demonstration to press home their demand.

“I have lost my homestead three times due to severe erosion of the Jamuna river and currently taken shelter on a highland along the riverbank. But, the land owner presses me to shift elsewhere. In this circumstance, I have no way to move any other safer place. I am now completely helpless,” Moyton Khatun, one of the demonstrators made this remark and broke into tears.

Aleya Khatun, Tiya Khatun and Jibonnahar Begum of the affected areas, who took part in the human chain said, “River erosion left us homeless and helpless. No one helps us to turn around. We have no way now sans begging. Only the government can protect us by paying special attention. If the government takes necessary steps to rehabilitate us, we will be able to turn around again.”

Chatur Sarker, a participant of the human chain said, “After staging several demonstrations in last year, the works of the riverbank protection project have almost reached near completion this year. But, the people, who lost their homesteads before completion of the work, are in trouble for want of rehabilitation. With the completion of project work, we want rehabilitation of the affected families. It’s our humanitarian appeal to the government.”

Chatur also urged the higher authorities including Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Sirajganj Muhammad Nazrul Islam to take immediate steps to rehabilitate the affected people of the area.

Mokhlesur Rahman, Executive Engineer of WDB in Sirajganj said, “The work of the project was delayed due to fund crisis. However, bulk portion of the project work has already completed this year and rest is expected to be completed by the deadline. Necessary steps will be taken after sanction of new fund. In this situation, there is no fear of further erosion in the six kilometer stretch of the river bank.”

“However, if erosion returns to the area again in any reason, we will take emergency measures to prevent that,” he added.

Kamruzzaman, UNO of Shahzadpur told THE DAILY SKY on Sunday that, “There is no project on cluster village in our hand right now. We however, have written to our higher authorities addressing the problem. We hope, we will get positive response shortly. Then, we will take necessary action for the affected families by scrutiny.”