Houses, dwellings, more than 100 bighas of cultivable land and plants have been washed away by the river Jamuna in Gaibandha’s Saghata upazila. At the same time, schools, markets, hundreds of settlements, hundreds of acres of arable land, vast areas including trees and plants are at risk of collapse. The Gaibandha Water Development Board is trying to protect the ruptured area by throwing geo bags.
It is learned that the water level of the river Jamuna flowing over Saghata upazila of Gaibandha has continued to rise abnormally due to incessant rains for several days and mountain slopes coming down from the upper reaches. In addition to the rising water level in the river, river erosion has started at Munsir Hat in Saghata Union, Gobindi and Dakshin Ulya Majhi Para points in Bharatkhali Union. In the last 15 days of continuous demolition, houses, dwellings and cultivable lands of more than 200 families in Munsir Hat area have been lost in the river.
Some of the homeless families have taken refuge in the nearby flood control dam. Many have taken refuge in other places. Saghata UP Chairman Mosharraf Hossain Suite said more than 200 families had lost their houses in Munsir Hat, Gobindi and Hatbari villages of his union. Besides, Munsir Hat Government Primary School, High School, Munsir Hat Bazar, more than 500 houses, cultivable lands and large areas including trees are at risk of erosion. Talking to Rezai Karim Reza, sub-divisional engineer of Gaibandha Water Development Board, he said that geo-bags are being dumped in the affected areas through contractors to prevent erosion.