Jamuna erosion takes alarming turn

The Jamuna has devoured large areas near Guthail hard point at Belgachha Ghonapara village in Islampur upazila under the district in last eight days, leaving at least 150 families homeless.

The river erosion turned serious as a 200-metre area emerged in the middle of a 700-metre curved riverbank in the area after the recent floods and the bank shifted 50-metre south-eastward, said sources of local Water Development Board (WDB).

As the severe erosion started on the Eid day on September 25, the joy of festival eluded around 50 families as they had to shift their houses with their belongings, said local trader Bodiuzzaman and van-pullers Lutfor, Laju, Sohrawardi, who were victims of the situation that day.

Centuries-old Guthail Bazar along with its connecting road from Islampur upazila headquarters, and Belgachha Ghonapara Government Primary School, two mosques and a temple of the village, are under threat due to the erosion, said locals.

Several other institutions and set-ups including a college, schools, banks and NGOs will also face the threat if the erosion continues for long, said Abdul Khaleque Akanda, chairman of Belgachha union parishad.

A family, losing most of their landed property to the river, stays under the open sky on the remaining part of their homestead. Photo: Star

During a visit to the spot yesterday, this correspondent found some people shifting their houses and belongings as the erosion neared.

Some of the erosion-hit families were staying in makeshift home near the eroding bank while others shifted their belongings on the space beside Islampur-Guthail road, taking shelter at their relatives' homes.

Losing all of the six decimals of land to the riverbed, sexagenarian widow Monowara was seen staying under the open sky with family members.

Nabakumar Chowdhury, executive engineer of WDB in Jamalpur, along with the chief engineer visited the spot on Saturday.

"We have decided to take emergency protection work by dumping 10 thousand geo-bags. The work will start on Sunday or Monday," he said.

A Tk 217-crore project proposal for permanent solution to the erosion covering 5.35-kilometres from Kulkandi hard point to Guthail hard point was sent to the Planning Commission on September 22, he added.