MAGURA, Oct 17: Erosion by the Madhumati river under Mohammadpur upazila in the district has taken a serious turn.
Local sources said six villages of the upazila - Harekrishnapur, Moheshpur, Airmaghi, Raipur, Ruizani and Volanathpur - are now highly vulnerable to the erosion.
Major portion of the areas may go under the river water at any time if the erosion continues.
About 8.0 km areas of the villages have already been devoured by the river. The erosion has left at least 35 families homeless as around 50 dwellings collapsed.
A graveyard at Kashipur village, Eidgah at Harekrishnapur village and one mosque and one educational intuition at Airmaghi village may go under water at any time. About 200 houses in the six villages while 200 hectares of land are now highly vulnerable to erosion, sources added.
A char of 5.0 km has already appeared in the river. Geo bags have already been dumped on about 300 metre area of riverbank.
"But these bags have brought no result in checking the erosion", locals added.
Sexegarian Sabirunnesa of Kashipur village said, "I am staying under a tree for over five days after losing my house. But not a single person has come to help us."
Rezaul Islam of Ruizani village said, "My two bighas of Aman paddy land has gone under the water."
Magura Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Sarwar Hossen said, "We have constructed 150 metre embankment around the riverbank at the cost of Tk 150 million."
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