An alarming increase in the water level of the Padma river has resulted in massive erosion of river banks as well as of char villages in Rajshahi during the last one week. Even the 72-year-old Char Khidirpur Border Outpost, situated in the middle of the river, is facing the threat of erosion. The strong river current has washed away about 300 structures, including mosques, madrasas and government community clinics.
The people of Char Khidirpur village were seen shifting their furniture and utensils to safer places in the face of the increasing water level. They told The Independent that the water level had started to increase from the day of Eid. The river has already gobbled up 250 houses, including four mosques, a madrasa, a government community clinic, four culverts, trees and a large tract of cultivable land.
The erosion has now reached the courtyard of the Charkhidirpur BOP and it is only a matter of time when the BOP goes under the turbulent waters of the Padma.
Villagers said if the erosion continued, the Char Khaidirpur area might not remain a Bangladeshi territory and could become a joint river of both India and Bangladesh.
The commanding officer of 37 BGB Rifles Battalion, Nazrul Islam, along with the chief engineer, superintending engineer and executive engineer of the Water Development Board of Rajshahi, Abdur Rob Mia, Shahad Uddin and Harun-ur-Rashid, respectively, and Paba upazila UNO Razzakul Islam visited the erosion affected area of Charkhidirpur on Saturday.
They, however, could not give any hope to the villagers and instructed them to shift materials of the BOP to the mainland.
Harun-ur-Rashid said they had tried their best to save the village and the BOP. “Geobags full of sand were dumped along 105 metres of the erosion-prone area. Bags are still being dumped at the bottom level, but God alone knows whether the BOP and the village cand be saved,” he added.
More than 70 to 80 per cent work of dumping geobags, at a cost of Tk. 30 million, to save the Bulanpur I embankment, Nabaganga I embankment and Khanpur BOP have been completed. The dumping of geobags encircling the areas seems to have worked as the highly vulnerable Khanpur BOP and other embankments are still intact, said WDB officials.
-With The Independent input
