Dhaka, Sept 27 – The river erosion has begun once again in Naria Upazila of Shariatpur by breaking a portion of embankment at right bank of Padma River at Naria-Janjira point devouring at least 12 homes and a mosque of a village on Thursday midnight.With sudden erosion at North Kedarpur village, 50 more families have been taken away to a safe place in apprehension of further erosion and people of four villages nearby the mighty Padma River got panic due to erosion anew, sources said.
Hearing the news of river erosion, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Hague Shamim went to the affected area yesterday and asked Water Development Board officials to take necessary measures to immediately stop the erosion.
Our correspondent said, the WDB workers immediately started falling send field geo bags containing sands at the affected area of the village.
Locals said about 280 meters of the river bank protection embankment have been destroyed due to heavy current of waters.
The deputy minister distributed Tk 10,000 to each of the 12 families who lost their homes and Tk 5000 each of 25 families who were taken away from the vulnerable areas.
Talking to this correspondent, Enamul Haque Shamim said this time the river erosion at Naria-Janjira could be controlled by implementing the project of constructing embankment at the right bank of the river.
He said the WDB officials are working to stop the erosion that emerged due to increase of water and it’s current.
Shamim said he distributed cash money to the affected families and distributed dry food among the affected people.
Sources in Water Development Board at Shariatpur said the erosion was taken place due to increase of the currents started on September 19 and it destroyed 40 metres of the embankment.
The contractor firm has fallen about 12,500 geo bags at the affected area till Thursday night and despite this the river bank was started to be devoured in the river bed, sources added.
Former UP chairman of Kederpur Union Parishad Imam Hossain Dewan said as soon as the news of river erosion spread the people in the area are panicked and thronged at the river bank.
The erosion was taken place amid the WDB is implementing a project involving Tk 1,077.58 crore, for protecting Naria and Jazira Upazilas in Shariatpur from Padma erosion.
Last year, a vast area with about 200 buildings, including hospitals, clinics, mosques, temples, and business houses in Naria, had been eroded as the mighty Padma continues to devour its right bank in the district, leaving hundreds of people homeless.
The locals said over 20 square kilometres of land in Naria have been eroded in the last three years. – Staff Reporter
