Sudden Jamuna erosion makes many homeless

Sudden erosion by the Jamuna river has devoured several homesteads and vast farmlands within a few hours at Mazzan village in Sirajganj's Shahzadpur upazila last week, creating panic among the villagers.

"As I came to know that sudden erosion by the Jamuna started eroding a portion the riverbank in our village, I rushed to my house, but unfortunately couldn't save anything," Rafikul Islam of Mazzan village said.

"When I reached home, I saw it was already on the verge of being eroded, but I didn't dare to go inside," Rafikul said, adding that I lost my homestead, cultivable land and a happy family within few minutes last Friday.

"Two of my four children were playing at the courtyard when my house was devouring. I somehow managed to save my kids, nothing else as the entire house washed away into the river in front of my eyes," another erosion-hit victim Rozina Khatun said.

"Now me and my four children are living in a roadside makeshift shanty, but I have nothing to feed my family as all our food grains, stocked at the house, also went into the river last week," Rozina further said.

Affected villagers said due to the sudden erosion at least 13 houses went into river while another 20 to 25 shifted to other places in last one week.

Sirajganj Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Shafikul Islam said due to geographical state of the Jamuna erosion is a common catastrophe in Sirajganj during flood.

WDB has already took up a mega project of Tk 600 crore to protect 6.5-kilometre portion of the flood protection embankment in a bid to save Enayetpur, Shahzadpur and Belkuchi upazilas from further erosion, the WDB engineer said.

According to Sirajganj district administration so far around 974 homesteads, at different villages in five upazilas of the district, devoured in the Jamuna during the ongoing flood and the affected villagers need urgent rehabilitation.