River erosion takes a serious turn in Sirajganj

Published at 12:39 pm June 22nd, 2020

Locals hold a human chain on the bank of Jumuna River in Ghatabari village of Enayetpur upazila on Sunday, demanding immediate step to tackle erosion Dhaka Tribune

Locals held a human chain on the bank of Jumuna River, demanding immediate step to tackle the erosion

River erosion has taken a serious turn in Sirajganj as the water level of the Jamuna River has been surging for the last few days with the onrush of upstream water and incessant rainfall.

A large number of houses and a vast tract of cropland have already gone into the river, causing suffering to many people in Ghatabari and Pakurtola area of Enayetpur upazila.

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, locals held a human chain on the banks of the Jamuna River on Sunday, demanding that steps be taken immediately to tackle the erosion.

They said the district Water Development Board had a project to build a 6 km long embankment to stop the erosion. However, the project is yet to be approved and implemented.

Speaking on the issue, Sirajganj Water Development Board Executive Engineer Shafiqul Alom said: "We have sent a project proposal of over Tk600 crore to higher authorities for building an embankment. But, the project has not been passed yet."

"Once the project is passed, the river erosion problem will be solved," he added.