Emergency work for checking Kirtankhola River erosion at Charbaria point of Barisal city has started on Wednesday following government allotment of Tk 3 million as emergency fund.
The fund reached on Tuesday after dead body of one out of three missing persons recovered on Monday and their houses eroded away on early Sunday.
However, fund for a sustainable project worth Tk. 46 core to prevent this erosion yet to be approved.
Zahiruddin Ahmed, executive engineer Water Development Board Barisal office, said a letter of sanctioning fund worth Tk 30 lakhs as emergency grant for checking river erosion reached to his office by fax from Water Resources Ministry on Sunday afternoon.
After receiving that letter WDB Barisal office managed that fund on Tuesday.
They started setting bamboo cages and dumping eight hundred sacks of GO bags from Wednesday at erosion affected endangered points of Charbaria union on emergency basis, the WDB official told.
Implementation of a long term sustainable river management policy needed to control erosion, the WDB official added.
A proposal of Tk 23.52 cores was placed on August 2009 for constructing embankment covering the affected areas.
Then Ibrahim Khalil, Joint Secretary of Water Resources Ministry, visiting the spot in March 2014 extended the proposal to Tk 46 core to construct 2.5 kilometer long embankment covering the affected and endangered areas.
However, that proposal is still waiting on the table of the concerned ministry for getting approval, the WDB official informed.
Local people also voluntarily trying to do emergency basis work by dumping brick bats and sands for checking the speedily advancing erosion after more than 50 establishments devoured in a fortnight and dead body of 1 out of 3 missing recovered.
The severe and speedy erosion every season turning to new points at new spots. High pressure at the down stream current from upper stream of the river makes situation deteriorated since a fortnight, said Charbaria union parishad chairman Ziaul Islam Sabu.
At least 40 establishments including shops, houses, institutions and roads in Charbaria, Charabdani, Lamchhari, Charulalghuni, Rarimahal areas under severe threats of eroding away at any moment, cautioned the UP chairman.
Mentionable , 11 residents were rescued and 3 went on missing after Kirtankhola River suddenly devoured four houses at Lamchaari area under Charbaria union of Barisal city on Sunday early hours.
Later floating dead body of Golam Mustafa Shikdar, one of the three missing persons, was recovered from 8 kilometers downstream of the missing point at Kalijira area on Kirtankhola-Sugandha River crossing on Monday afternoon.
Other two named as Hossain Haoladar, 44, son of Bachchu Haoladar, Giasuddin alias Selim Sardar, 40, son of Jamal Sardar from Lamchhari area still remained as missing.
