Staff Correspondent:

Riverbank erosion has eaten up a vast tract of cropland in different places of the district.

Local said soil erosion has taken a serious turn in Jamuna, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Ghaghat and Karatoya rivers due to floods.

The breakdown occurs shortly after the river water is receded.

According to the data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the total cultivable land in the district was 167,547 hectares a year ago.

Of these, more than 162 hectares of agricultural land have been washed away in the river.

At present, the amount of agricultural land in the district has decreased by 167,385 hectares.

Farmers say that every year agricultural land is being devoured in the rivers.

If this situation continues, many farmers will lose land and become helpless, which will affect food production.

If the riverbanks are not prevented, the amount of cultivable land will be further reduced in the days ahead.

According to DAE sources, in the last one year, 162.75 hectares of cropland on the riverbanks has been washed away. However, 750 hectares of chars have woken up. Various crops are also being cultivated in those pastures.

DAE Deputy Director Khorshed Alam told the Financial Express, “Due to the riverbank erosion, farmers are facing loss.”

Residents along the rivers said that Gaibandha Sadar, Sundarganj, Phulchari and Saghata upazilas have situated along Teesta, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Ghaghat and Karatoya rivers.

During the rainy season, these rivers are severely eroded during the water and decreasing. Many establishments, including cropland, have disappeared and many families have become homeless.

Many lost the land and houses and left the areas. He has taken shelter in different regions, including Dhaka and Chittagong.

Earlier this month, the Teesta and Brahmaputra rivers have decreased water due to the erosion of the Charbid area of Phulchhari and Sadar upazilas.

According to sources in the Gaibandha Water Development Board (PUBO), a project has been undertaken to preserve the arrows in the last year.

Under the project, 35 km of arrow conservation work has been implemented between Brahmaputra and Jamuna 22 km. Under another project, a 13 km arrow of Saghata and Fulchhari upazilas is underway. To prevent riverbank erosion, Tk 830 crore has been allocated in the fiscal year 2024-2025. The project will be completed in December 2026. Beyond this there is a breakdown area on the right of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna.

In the meantime, a survey from Puebo has been completed. A project has been sent for approval in light of the survey recommendation.

However, residents of the river-breaking area complained that PUBO took a project at a cost of Tk 830 crore in the fiscal year 2024-25, but there was no progress in the work. Work is being done with the Geo Bag. They want a permanent solution to prevent river erosion by excluding duty.

In this regard, Hafizul Haque, executive engineer of Gaibandha Pubo, told the Financial Express, “The Teesta, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Karatoya and Ghaghat rivers have flowed through Gaibandha district. Every year, Sadar, Phulchari, Sundarganj and Saghata upazilas fall under the river breaks.”

“There is also a breakdown area on the right bank of Brahmaputra and Jamuna. If the development project proposal (DPP) is approved and implemented, there will be no river erosion from Kapasia to Sripur, Haripur to Lalcham, Balasighat to Ratanpur.”