Abdur Razzak Bachchu, Kushtia: The water level in Gorai river at Kumarkhali-Khoksa in Kushtia is rising. As a result, the banks of the river at different points of Chapra and Jadubayara Union have been broken and several villages have already been flooded. Hundreds of bighas of agricultural land have been submerged. However, there are fears of erosion in Hilalpur, Kalibari Dampara, Kamalapur and Jagalba villages including Khoksar Hijlabot shelter project. On Monday (July 20) morning, it was learned that the tidal water in the Gorai river has started rising for a few weeks. And from three days ago, erosion has occurred at various points along the two-kilometer bank from Enayetpur village of Jadubayaba union of the upazila to Hijlabat of Osmanpur union of Khoksa upazila. At one point, about 15 meters of the bank broke and water entered the agricultural land. About 400 bighas of paddy, jute, maize, banana orchards and other crop lands have been flooded. Thousands of people are already stranded in the Hijlabot shelter project in Khoksa upazila. And 20 houses in Hilalpur village have been washed away in the river. Hundreds more families on the way to extinction. There were also reports of some houses in Kamalapur village being washed away by the river. Locals say if the river bank is not repaired, about 15 villages in the two unions of Kumarkhali are likely to be flooded. On the other hand, Chapra and Madhya Charpara villages have been flooded after the bank of Gorai river broke about 30 meters near the house of Nehed Ali of Chapra village of Chapra union. Five more villages and hundreds of bighas of agricultural land are under threat. In this regard, Ahmed Ali, a farmer from Hijlabat village in Khoksar, said that agricultural land is being flooded every year by breaking the banks of the river. This time too the crops of my eleven bighas of land have been flooded. If the erosion is not stopped, hundreds of bighas of land will be flooded. Abdul Matin, a farmer from Enayetpur village in Kumarkhali, said, “I have survived by eating the crops of the land. Each time the crop is damaged by erosion. This time too. Necessary steps need to be taken to prevent erosion. Local Awami League leader Lutfar Rahman said the river had eroded due to overflow. Preventing rapid erosion will save at least 18 nearby rivers from flooding. Kushtia Water Development Board SD Salauddin Ahmed said the Gorai River overflowed due to rains and high tides. Water flooded a village in Chapra. However, the locals immediately stopped the flow of water. He added that work is underway on a project to prevent erosion on the banks. Kumarkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rajibul Islam Khan said the river Gorai broke and flooded the village of Char-Chapra. With the help of local and administration officials, the water flow was stopped immediately by throwing bamboo and sandbags. However, I do not know about the breakdown in Jadubayara.
