Erosion adds to woes in flooded areas
River erosion has taken a serious turn in several flood-hit districts, rendering many people homeless.
Many victims, along with their livestock, have moved to safe places.
Meanwhile, floodwater has started receding in some districts, while fresh areas are feared to be inundated in the region adjacent to Dhaka.
Erosion has started at 35 points in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat.
At least 700 houses in the two districts, including 500 in Kurigram, already went into rivers, and a vast tract of arable land with crops and fruit orchards were devoured in the last three days.
Those who became homeless take shelter on roads, dykes, and other high grounds in the affected areas.
"My house and farmland were eroded by the Brahmaputra on Sunday morning. We are now homeless," said Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Jadurchar union of Kurigram's Rowmari.
He, along with his five member-family, live on others' land.
Another victim Abdus Samad, of Char Gokunda in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said, "Our house went into the Teesta on Saturday noon. Now, we live on a road."
In Tangail, although the overall flood situation has slightly improved, erosion of the Jamuna continues, damaging embankment and dwelling houses.
At least 29 houses were washed away after a part of newly constructed village protection embankment collapsed at Beltia in Kalihati upazila.
The erosion took place from Saturday night to Sunday, sources said.
The erosion affected area is only around 1.5km south of the eastern end of Bangabandhu Bridge.
Engineers of the site office of Bangladesh Bridge Authority in Tangail said BBA recently completed construction of 400 metres of embankment for protecting the nearby villages from the erosion.
About 30 metres of the embankment were devoured by the river, and a number of houses of Beltia village went into the river, they said.
Local lawmaker and government officials visited the spot and assured the affected of giving them relief materials.
Meanwhile, a paved road was damaged by floodwater at Adabari in Mirzapur. It might cause nearby houses and farmland to erode.
In Jamalpur, floodwater has started going down from the flood-hit areas. The victims, who took shelter at flood centres, relatives' houses, on roads, and high grounds, have begun to return home.
Some 13,343 hectares of crop fields were inundated, according to the local agricultural office.
Over 8,000 families have been waterlogged in Faridpur as the Padma is swelling up to the danger mark. The flood-hit people are passing hard days due to shortage of food and drinking water.
"Water entered into our houses around five days ago. We cannot cook food. But we have not got any relief," said Nazma Begum, of Shadipur village in Faridpur Sadar upazila.
However, officials of the local administration said they were distributing relief materials among the victims.
In Munshiganj, over 300 families at the risk of being flooded as the Padma was swelling up to the danger mark.
Many people have already shifted to safer places. But they said they were suffering from shortage of food and drinking water.
Officials of the local administration said the victims would be provided with sufficient relief materials.
Our correspondents from Lalmonirhat, Tangail, Faridpur, and Jamalpur contributed to this report.
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