Golam Kibria Khan Manik, Kazipur

Erosion by the Jamuna river has taken serious turn again at different places including Nishchintapur and Chargirish Union of Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj district as the river has started swelling for the last few days due to the heavy and incessant rains and onrush of water from upstream.

Meanwhile, over 200 homesteads, vast tract of croplands and other installations like roads, mosques, hat-bazar and educational institutions have gone to the riverbed in the last two weeks due to strong current of the river.

Not only that, two government primary schools along with a newly constructed three-storey building are now under threat of river erosion.

Locals sought interference of the concerned Water Development Board (WDB) authorities to protect the locality and assets of the people from the deadly clutch of erosion.

According to the sources of WDB, the water level of the mighty river Jamuna has been started rising since the beginning of Bengali month Ashar. Due to recent heavy downpour and onrush of water from upstream, the water of the river at Kazipur and Sirajganj town protection embankment points has reached almost near to the danger marks.

The strong current of the river creates heavy pressure to the embankments that leads to severe erosion at different places.

Mokhlesur Rahman, Executive Engineer of WDB in Sirajganj admitted about the Intensity of erosion and said, “We have taken an emergency measure to protect Nishchintapur Char and Char Dorta Primary School from the erosion. However, we are very sorry for Chargirish and other Char areas, because the WDB does not allocate any fund for the protection of any Char area without any major installations. We however, try to protect major installations at different Chars with our own initiatives. We have also sent a project proposal to the concerned ministry seeking its approval for protecting a-2 kilometer erosion affected area in Chargirish.”

Ruhul Amin, Headmaster of Char Dorta Government Primary School said, “I have informed the current situation to the authorities concerned seeking necessary steps to protect the educational institute, but to no effect.”

Villagers expressed anger over the role of concerned government officials saying that “Newly constructed three-story building at Chargirish Government Primary School was inaugurated about four months ago, which is now located just 100 yards away from the river. Due to the devastation of the Jamuna erosion, the school building of crores of taka has now come under threat. Question has risen that how and why the building was constructed at such a risky point? Who were behind it and what was the reason?

To avert the responsibility, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Upazila Education Officer in Kazipur said, “We are monitoring overall situation of the affected areas. Process to sale the newly constructed building of Chargirish Government Primary School on auction is underway.”