With the rise of water level in two major rivers, erosion has taken serious turn at different places along the riverbanks of four upazilas in the district recently creating untold sufferings and anxieties for the river basin people.
According to sources, due to onrush of hilly waters from the upstream and continuous rainfall, the water level of the Teesta and the Brahmaputra rivers rose alarmingly in past 15 days.
As a result, the erosion by the rivers has taken serious turn at different places under Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Saghata upazilas during the period.
More than 500 families living on the bank of the rivers have already lost their homes due to erosion and vast tracts of arable land and academic institutions were also devoured by the rivers.
Besides, a good number of academic institutions, temples, mosques, hats and bazaars including flood control embankment located on the river side are in great threat as the rivers are coming fast to them day by day due to erosion.
Apart from it, hundreds of families living on the riverbank are in serious panic and anxiety as their homesteads including the standing crops land might be eroded any time, the locals said.
Though, the homeless people took shelter on nearby government embankment and other safer places of the upazilas, they are passing their days with hardship under open sky for want of drinking water and food, the locals alleged.
M. Saiduzzaman, chairman of Mollarchar union parishad under Sadar upazila, said in last few weeks at least 200 homesteads including 300 acres of arable land of the union were devoured by the river Brahmaputra.
The local people urged the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to start the riverbank protection work at the vulnerable areas without delay to save the homesteads and arable land from the erosion.
