Faizullahpur being eroded due to Padma erosion in Bheramara, riverside people desperate to save it
Arifuzzaman Lipton, Bheramara (Kushtia).
Once a place of human habitation, green fields of crops and a place of dreams, the mighty Padma is slowly swallowing up the town. Faizullahpur village in Bahadurpur union of Bheramara upazila of Kushtia is now fighting for its existence.
Homes, croplands and important structures are being destroyed by the terrible erosion of the river.
New areas are being eroded by the strong current of the Padma every day. Hundreds of families on the banks of the river are spending sleepless nights fearing the loss of their homes.
Many families have already been forced to leave their ancestral lands and seek refuge elsewhere.
Local resident Mosha Morjina Begum and many others said that various parts of the embankment starting from the Hardinge Bridge area of the Water Development Board and passing by Faizullahpur have disappeared into the riverbed. If the erosion continues, the existence of the entire area will be under threat.
Many people, including Mahabul, Dabir Pramanik, Mustafa, complained that despite being victims of river erosion for years, no permanent preventive measures have been taken. Despite promises made at various times, the suffering of the people is not decreasing due to the lack of effective initiatives.
They demand that immediate and effective steps be taken to prevent erosion, including stopping illegal sand mining in the Padma.
The Water Development Board had earlier taken the initiative to lay geo-bags to prevent erosion, but due to the strong current of the Padma and the changing course of the river, it did not last long. It is not just temporary prevention by laying geo-bags, but the construction of a sustainable defense dam is needed.
Abdul Gafur, MP for Kushtia-2 (Bheramara-Mirpur) constituency, said, "I have visited the erosion-affected areas before. A permanent dam needs to be built in the Faizullahpur area. The Water Development Board has been requested to take urgent measures to prevent erosion."
