The 110-year-old woman can hear a little less, but she can see with her eyes. Therefore, she is a living witness of the long-standing river erosion in this area.
This time the old woman was shocked while the Madhumati river was eroding near her house. There is no end to the worries in her eyes for fear of losing the last land.
Hundreds of people in the area, like Ajiron Nesar, of Charparanpur village in Itna union of Lohagarh upazila in Narail are living in fear of erosion.
Sheikh Abdul Mannan of Pir-Charsuchail village in Itna Union said most of the people in the area are farmers and laborers. We have been lost in erosion of Madhumati river for 10 long years.
The people of Charsuchail, Charpachail, Charparanpur and Charghonapara are most affected. The Charsuchail Government Primary School which established in 1931, will be washed away by the river unless immediate action is taken to prevent erosion. Already, one acre 10 decimal field of the school's has been washed away by the river.
The Water Development Board (WAPDA) has repeatedly appealed to the authorities but to no avail. The victims including Ashraf Sheikh, Azizur Rahman, Kulsum Begum, Maleka Begum, Sohail Munshi and Rajib of Charsuchail village said that although river erosion has been going on in the area for about 10 years, no effective measures have been taken to prevent it.
Besides, hundreds of houses, thousands of trees and vast agricultural land in four villages including Charsuchail have been washed away by the river.
Aruk Munshi of Charsuchail village, central publicity and publication secretary of Bangabandhu Smriti Sangsad and Bangabandhu Smriti Library said, at present the people of Charsuchail, Charpachail, Charparanpur and Charghonapara villages in Itna union in Narail are facing severe losses due to river erosion.
Many have more than once lost their homes, farmland, plants and other resources. If we don't work fast to prevent erosion, many people will lose their homes and will be on the streets.
Munshi Kamruzzaman, headmaster of Charsuchail Government Primary School, said, “I joined this school as a teacher 10 years ago. Although there were 200 students in the beginning, many have left the area due to river erosion.
At present there are 110 students from first to fifth class. There is no school ground, it went to the riverbed a year ago. Now the demolition has started near the tin shed.
The schoolhouse is only 10 feet away from the demolition. We demand to Mashrafe bin Mortuza MP for taking immediate action to protect the school in this situation.
In this regard, the officials of Water Development Board in Narail said that Tk 2 crore was allocated when a project was submitted last year to prevent erosion in the area including Charsuchail Government Primary School.
Although it was possible to implement the work of 170 meters, it would not be possible to play an effective role in preventing erosion. So the higher authorities of WAPDA did not accept the project.
The area was later included under the Madhumati River Extremely Risky Project. Conservation work of 600 meters of river bank will be implemented here. In this case, according to the proposal, 8 crore taka is required. Hopefully, the project can be approved by December this year.
