S.A. Shofiee, Sylhet :
With the fall of water level in the Kushiara river erosion has taken a serious turn at different places of Balagonj Upazila in Sylhet in the last couple of days, creating anxiety among the river basin people.
According to the sources, over 200 homesteads and a vast track of farmland and many trees have been devoured by the river, turning many people homeless.
The worst affected area is Balagonj sadar union under the upazila.
The other affected villages are Balagonj Bazar, Hamsapur, Sadekpur, Jalalpur Bazar, Elaspur in the upazila.
In a recent visit at different erosion-hit areas, this correspondent saw that the people of the river bank areas are shifting at different places and they have no alternative to earn their livelihood.
The erosion affected people of the upazila urge the government to take immediate steps to check erosion and demand to rehabilitate these erosion- hit floating people and sufferer people.
The local victims of erosion Abdul Bari said the Kushiara has become more serious this year than the previous years. ‘We have lost Aman crops, land, trees and homestead, ‘they also said.
Abdul Motin Chairman of Balagonj sadar union parishad said at least 200 families became homeless and thousands of acre agriculture land has been eroded in Barokandi in the last few days due to the onslaught erosion.
Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Shohidul Islam said they have assured the homeless people to rehabilitate them as soon as possible.
