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January
12, 2001
Madaripur, Jan 11 (UNB) – Although the government occasionally announces plans for protecting riverside villages, the number of landless people is rising in five districts of greater Faridpur due to unabated erosion by five rivers.
The rivers -- Padma, Kumar, Arialkhan, Madhumati and Chandana –- run through Rajbari, Faridpur, Madaripur, Gopalganj and Shariatpur, wrecking the livelihoods of poor people living on their vicinities.
Official sources said some 50,000 families lost their homesteads in river erosion in the districts in last few years. But the government could not yet take any measures for their rehabilitation, according to the affected people.
Apart from washing away 11 children, the mighty Padma left some 15,000 families homeless in Shariatpur district in last three years.
According to the officials, hundreds of acres of croplands in Bhedorganj upazila of Sariatpur district were devoured by the Padma.
Vast tracts of lands, including households, schools, a launch ghat and roads, at Char Atra, Noapara and Gharishar areas in Naria upazila of Shariatpur district were eroded away by the Padma.
The Padma also left hundreds of families of 12 villages in Jazira upazila in Shariatpur district homeless during the period.
During the period, the rivers Padma and Arialkhan devoured croplands and dwelling houses of 20,000 families at Madbarer Char, Charjanajat, Bandarkhola, Duttapara, Bashkandi and Shannashir Char in Shibchar upazila in Madaripur district.
Hundreds of people on the bank of the Padma from Koujuri ferryghat to Godar Bazar in Rajbari Sadar lost their homestead by the mighty river.
Some 35 villages in Akhat, Nasirpur, Manair, Diara, Dheokhali and Narkelbari areas of Sadarpur upazila and Char Harirampur and Char Jhoukanda in Char Bhadrashan upazila of Faridpur disappeared into the Padma and the Arialkhan.
Around 1,000 families at Panchkhola, Shilarchar, Kalikapur, Rasti, Dhurail, Bahadurpur, Jhaudi, Moisher Char and Khoazpur in Madaripur sadar upazila were left homeless by the Arialkhan.
In the district, the Arialkhan caused damage to about 700 families at Bashgari, Shahebrampur, Enayetnagar and Alinagar in Kalkini upazila.
The Madhumoti River displaced over 1000 families in a number of villages of Kashiani upazila in Gopalganj district.
Meanwhile, one-fourth of the erosion victims have either moved to slums in Dhaka or taken shelter on dams, highroads or other safer places in the greater Faridpur district.
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