Erosion by the Madhumati river has swallowed at least 110 homesteads in two villages of Alfadanga upazila in Faridpur this year: 60 at Charkholabaria in Buraich union and at least 50 at Dignagar in Gopalpur union. The chairmen of both unions confirmed the figures to The Daily Star.

Farmer Tota Mia of Dignagar had a semi-pucca house, kitchen and cowshed with about 250 trees on 65 decimals of homestead land; in the past two months 60 per cent of it has gone into the river. Villagers say erosion began on 20 July and, though it eases at times, has not stopped. Many are cutting trees on the bank and moving them away.

About two kilometres of the five-kilometre brick road from the Dignagar ferry ghat to Charmakrail have gone, and some 550 more homes in the two villages are at risk. Alamgir Hossain, head teacher of Charkholabaria Government Primary School, said the river is now about 200 yards from the 75-pupil school. A madrasa, post office, orphanage and the Miapara Jame Mosque are also threatened.

Housewife Mohimunnesa said her home was lost last year, after which her family rented land for Tk 5,000 a year to build a house; this year the river is closing in again. "We don't know when the river will wash everything away," she said. Buraich chairman Pannu Mia said erosion cannot be stopped without permanent bank protection, and Gopalpur chairman Saiful Khan also called for an urgent permanent embankment.

Md Rakib Hossain, executive engineer of the district Water Development Board, said a survey had been done for protecting about 15 km of river in the Alfadanga and Gopalganj area, which would stop erosion permanently, and that action would be taken as conditions allow once the water recedes. The report is by The Daily Star's Faridpur correspondent Sujit Kumar Das.

Photo: The Daily Star

Source: The Daily Star