Water Development Board (WDB)'s assurance of approval for Faridpur's Alfadanga Upazila Madhumati river-erosion protection project still remains a dream while the river continues to cause devastation.
At the beginning of the monsoon, 10 villages in three unions of the upazila were affected by the erosion of Madhumati river. In the last 15 days of erosion, thousands of acres of cropland and numerous houses and religious institutions have gone into the gourge of the river.
Thousands of houses, roads, educational institutions, cultivable lands, playgrounds, mosques-madrasas, various places like Eidgahs are on the verge of disappearance. Since the sudden rise in floodwater, new erosion has occurred at various places in Pachuria, Togarband and Gopalpur Unions of the upazila.
The continuous cruelty of the Madhumati flowing over at least 10 villages has taken away the sleep of the locals. In particular, the disintegration of Pachuria and Togarband Unions has intensified. The village of Charnarandia, south of Pachuria Union, is on the verge of extinction.
During this corona period, many families have already lost their homes and become homeless and proletarian. Hundreds of families are in the grip of the erosion havoc. Many establishments, including primary schools, mosques and madrasas, are under threat.
Residents of the area have been voicing their hopes for a permanent solution to the erosion by the river in the last few years from the Water Development Board (Paubo). Bajra Charpara Primary School of Gopalpur Union and Paschim Charnarandia Primary School of Pachuria Union are standing on the banks of Madhumati. These two educational institutions of the upazila will disappear in the river at any moment.
Kamal Sikder of South Charnarandia village in Pachuria union of the upazila is one of the erosion victims. He says, "My house was washed away in the Madhumati river last Thursday night. Having lost everything, I am under the open sky on the street with my family. Now we have not received any help from the government".
Farida Parveen, headmistress of Bajra Charpara Primary School, said, "The school was on the verge of collapse last year. If a permanent dam is not built, the school will be lost in the river".
Boalmari Water Development Board Sub-Divisional Engineer (SDE) Santosh Karmakar, who is in charge of Alfadanga Upazila, said, "Large-scale projects are needed to prevent river erosion. I have already submitted the application from Paubo to the ministry concerned of the government for the construction of a permanent barrier. The project is currently with the Planning Commission. Besides, geo-bags are being dumped temporarily to prevent erosion in the affected areas".
Alfadanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer Touhid Elahi said, "Local MPs and deputy commissioners had visited the river-eroded areas. Geo bags are being dumped to prevent erosion during floods. Besides, the matter of demolition has been reported to the concerned ministry. The government will provide assistance to the families affected by river erosion".
