The strong flow of the Padma River has caused new erosion in the Jajira Upazila of Shariatpur. About 1,000 families in Majhirghat, Palerchar Bazar, Kathuria, Madhu Madbarer Kandi and Pailan Mollarer Kandi and the surrounding areas have been affected by the erosion. Already, about 150 meters of area including roads and electricity poles in the Kathuria area have disappeared into the riverbed. Locals allege that the erosion continues due to illegal extraction of sand from the bottom of the Padma and the lack of timely initiatives by the Water Development Board (Pawbo) to prevent erosion. Thousands of people are spending their days in extreme fear.
On the spot, it was seen in Kathuria area that several meters of area had disappeared into the riverbed in a few hours. 25 houses and seven shops have already been demolished and evacuated to save them. To control the situation, the electricity department workers are removing risky electricity poles and the locals are lifting bricks from the road and placing them in a safe place. Although Paubo was seen laying geobags to prevent erosion, they are evacuating the houses due to lack of trust.
Salimuddin, a victim of Kathuria village, expressed his anger and said, “We have been a victim of erosion six times in the last 40 years. The Water Development Board rushes to build dams whenever the rainy season comes. But if we had built a permanent dam in the winter, we would not have lost this last resource.” Another resident and businessman, Dulal Matbar, blamed the lack of a permanent embankment on the negligence of the PAUBO.
According to Paubo sources, work is underway on 39 packages at a cost of Tk 1,130 crore to construct a 10.67-km river bank protection dam from Naodoba to Pathaliakandi in Jajira. The section from Zero Point to Palechar of the project was closed for a long time due to design changes, but work resumed in May this year. Among them, geobags thrown into the river in package number 12 in Kathuria area have been washed away and erosion has occurred again. But locals say that the contractors have not come here after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. If they had worked, this problem would not have arisen.
PAUBO Deputy Engineer Md. Shamim Mia said that the sudden erosion occurred due to the increase in water and current in the river and a three-kilometer section of the project is currently at risk. Although permanent work on the river has been stopped due to the monsoon, work on building blocks on the bank is underway and geobags have been washed away by the strong current of the river in the affected Kathuria area. Therefore, efforts are ongoing to prevent erosion by placing sand-filled geobags as an emergency measure.
