MAGURA, Sept 30: Erosion by the Modhumoti river has taken a serious turn in Mohammadpur upazila of the district.
Sources said seven villages are on the verge of extinction from the map of the upazila.
The Water Development Board, Magura, sources said a 5.0km char has emerged in the river from Gopalnagar to Parla villages. Strong current is being intercept by the char.
Losing normal flow, the current is affecting Mohammadpur upazila seriously from the beginning of August.
But the erosion took a serious turn from mid September.
Seven villages of the upazila respectively Kashipur, Raipur, Harakrishnapur, Volanathpur, Deuli, Jhama and Ruizani are the most affected areas by the erosion.
About 10 km area in the two villages has already been devoured by the river.
In the meantime 60 houses of 21 families of the villages have gone into the river.
About 250 hectares of cropland of the villages have abolished.
Mosques, temples, graveyards, burning grounds and education institutions are now vulnerable to the erosion.
Tilam Hossein of Kahipur village under Mohammadpur upazila said erosion by the river devoured his two bighas of land.
Noim Biswas of Bholanathpur village said, 'The river devoured my house one week ago. Now I along with my family members have taken shelter at a relative house."
Mohammapdur UNO Md Shadekur Rahman said, "I have visited the affected-area and sent letter to the authority concerned for take congenial step."
WDB executive engineer ABM Mujahidi admitted that erosion of Modhumoti river has taken a serious turn in Mohammadpur upazila.
"But we are failing to run dredging and make embankment due to fund crisis", he added.
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