Madhumati river erosion in Narail leaves 100 families homeless

The erosion of the Madhumati River has turned serious at Ramkantapur village in Lohagara upazila of the southwestern district leaving up to a hundred families homeless, according to local public representatives.

Over the weeks the river swalled many homesteads, acres of arable lands, trees, madrasas, mosques and electricity poles, said the victims and local leaders.

Hundreds of families in Ramkantapur village shifted their houses before the erosion took it all. They are now living under the sky.

Locals said that this is not the first time they have faced such devastation. Last year, the Water Development Board attempted to mitigate the erosion by dumping geo-bags at the Shirabar point of the Madhumati River, but it has disappeared in the erosion this time.  

Saddam, Osman Munshi and some other residents of Ramkantapur village narrated their plight to the UNB correspondent.

"Our homesteads had vanished into the river multiple times due to the erosion of the Madhumati River," said Saddam.

"We are now destitutea," he said. The uncertainty and panic are palpable as the river continues to erode the land, leaving residents in a constant state of anxiety about when their homes might be next.

Tota Mia, another resident, recounted the loss of five bighas of land to the river. "I‍‍`ve been affected three times already. This time, I‍‍`m on the verge of a breakdown. I don‍‍`t know what‍‍`s going to happen."

Local UP member Ashiqul Alam said homesteads, arable lands, madrasas and mosques have been affected by the erosion of the Madhumati River. If this continues, the entire area will disappear into the river.

Ashiqul Alam has called for the intervention of Jatiya Sangsad Whip Mashrafe Bin Mortaza to address the situation urgently. Mashrafee is the MP from this constituency.

Rakibul Hasan, executive engineer of Narail Water Development Board, said, "There is no allocation for erosion prevention in Ramkantapur village of Lohagara upazila. Because of this, we cannot do anything."

However, if funds come, work will be done to prevent erosion in the area, he added.