These homeless people have been left to the vagaries of their uncertain fate as the government and the Local Administration in the erosion affected areas are just playing the role of spectators, except making false public promises to take care of them. A senior Minister said people will be rehabilitated but how, where and when is not in sight We ask the government to stand by those unfortunate people who are now homeless after losing everything to devastation of floods
As per experts seven major causes are behind river erosions now taking place in Bangladesh and indisputably climate change and heavy floods are two major causes of them. Now that the country’s overall climatic patterns are changing fast so the authorities concerned should also resort to new adaptation plan for people to face such climate induced problems.
As it appears rivers in the country’s central region are now rising, as water is coming from upstream. It is causing massive river erosion to devour people’s homes and river embankments. In Naogaon, people are living in panic as cracks developed at different riverbank points. Local roads also have been damaged or threatened. Railway lines have washed away at many other places. In Joypurhat, floodwaters entered the town breaking flood-protection dam. Most dangerously, some 21,000 families of 14 Unions of Bhadrasan and Sadarpur Upazilas have been marooned as water level in the Padma suddenly rose.
In the wake of increasing river erosions experts have rightly pointed out the need for necessary measures to be taken at the soonest. These include quick repair of broken dams and embankments, more plantation at vulnerable places and training riverbeds in dry season to reduce the risk of erosion during flooding. At the national level, government must quickly move to new adaptation measures as climate change is moving fast severely impacting people’s life. The most urgent task is to work on a basin-wise river management system to effectively control floods at regional level and erosion that follows.
The most opportune moment to begin all the stated initiatives is right now to effectively deal with any of the impending river erosions any time sooner. Not to forget, being prepared for a natural disaster is like being prepared for any other important challenges to life before another river erosion strikes.
