Floodwaters started receding but erosion by major rivers devoured vast areas leaving thousands of people homeless in several
districts across the country.
New Age correspondents depicted harrowing pictures of thousands of people rendered homeless by erosion in Faridpur, Chapainawabganj, Khulna, Sirajganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Barishal and Bogra caused by the Padma, Jamuna, Meghna and other major rivers swollen by torrential rains.
The rivers continue to erode their banks, they reported.
Erosion by the Padma is also disrupting ferry movement between the Mawa Ghat and Paturia-Doulotdia Ghat across the river, said the report.
Chapainawabganj correspondent reports in last two weeks about 1,500 houses in Alatuli union disappeared in the river.
Moreover, Sarkarpara, Kodalkathi and the Debinagar unions are also facing the threat of erosion, said Khowaz Ali, the chairman of the union council.
Floodwaters are receding from Manikganj but severe tides of the Jamuna River devoured about 2,000 acres of cropland at Tirka union of Shibalay upazila, Doulotpur and Harirampur upazilas, reported Manikganj correspondent.
The Khulna correspondent said that about 1,600 bighas of cropland had been destroyed in Rupsha upazila and that the rivers Rupsha and Bhairab had been overflowing for past one month.
Land erosion also affected Rupsha upazila’s Shailpur, Jugihati, Nikhlapur, and Teler Bazar areas, he said.
Overflowing of water from the river Jamuna was particularly severe at Chouhali upazila in Sirajganj.
Chouhali upazila LGED engineer Mohammad Nasir Uddin said that water from the Jamuna had engulfed the Chouhali upazila parisad office and its auditorium since Friday.
The district relief and rehabilitation officer, Zakiur Rahim Shahed, said that they distributed at least 68 tonnes of rice among 15,500 flood affected families of 29 unions in Sadar, Kazipur, Shahzadpur and Chouhali upazilas.
New Age correspondent in Faridpur said Hajiganj Bazaar in Char Bhadrashan upazila was facing threat of erosion from the Padma River and around two kilometres area between Aliabad and Kazirtek in district headquarters was also under threat.
Around 100 acres of land between Char Manair union’s Jhikar bend to Khashchar area has been swamped in Sadarpur upazila.
Barisal correspondent said that rivers Kirtankhola and Sugandha were causing erosion at Char Baria and Char Kaowa areas.
About 100 acres of land has been flooded by the Bhola-Mongla Road connected with the Doarika Bridge.
The Barisal-Dhaka Highway is also in danger, he said.
Reports from Bogra says that a bridge at Sonatala upazila had been washed away and that water from the Jamuna flooded villages in Sonataka affecting about 10,000 people.
Most of the correspondents reported that the authorities began very limited rehabilitation activities to help the victims.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority officials said on Saturday that ferry movement were disrupted at the ferry ghat number three at Mawa.
On Saturday morning, vehicle owners used the Bhaggakul-Dohar route and avoided the Mawa Road about 100 feet of which was under water.
The four-kilometre ferry service between Paturia and Daulatdia across the Padma River remained suspended for about 62hours from September 2.
BIWTA chief engineer for dredging Abdul Matin recently said that the strong current in the Padma River, from time to time, obstructed BIWTA’s dredging efforts.
Water Development Board’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the Padma at Bhagyakul and Kobadak at Jhikargacha were flowing above danger marks by 2cm and 51cm respectively on Saturday morning.
WDB chief of monitoring KM Nazmul Haque said silt carried by the rivers from the upstream filled their beds reducing their water carrying capacity and causing erosion.
Courtesy of New Age
