MORRELGANJ, BAGERHAT, Aug 13: The location map of coastal Merrelganj Upazila of the district is changing day by day due to erosion by the Panguchhi River. New areas are getting eroded every day. Already the river has embedded numerous houses, institutions and roads.
Over the last 50 years, the Panguchhi River area has increased by three times with one kilometre (km) width. There are 3.5 lakh people living in its banking areas.
Before the independence, a project proposal was made for an embankment along its banks. But the proposed dyke was not built.
In different times, locals made movements and formed human chains demanding embankment construction. Also minister, MP and Power Development Board (WDB) officials inspected affected areas.
In the last few years, at least 400 families lost their living houses in three villages due to erosion by the Panguchhi River. With these, 25 acres of land of Gabtala Village were devoured by the river.
In the last 40 years, food godown, sub-registry office, telephone office, Abdul Aziz Memorial Secondary School, Esilaha High School main building, Dakbangloo, Baroikhali Union Parishad, Police Quarter, Ansar Maidan, Baroikhali Government Primary School, Post Office, Sanitary Inspector Office, Central Jam-e-Mosque, Thana Jam-e-Mosque, Sorbojanin Haris Mandir, cremation station, institutions and roads were eroded.
Presently, 20 villages including Gabtala, Kathaltala, Baroikhali, Ferryghat, Kumarkhali, Sonnasi, Shrenikhali, Ghashiakhali, Sonakhali, and Fulfata are under erosion threat.
No step was taken to permanently repair the embankment damaged by cyclones Sidr, Aila and Yaas.
In July in 2017, local MP Dr. Mozammel Hossain inspected the breached areas. Then he submitted a DO letter for 2.5 km embankment from Gabtala to Poshurbunia.
The DO letter said, a project undertaken before independence has still not been implemented.
On the basis of the DO letter, on July 12 last year, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam gave instructions to WDB Director General for taking necessary measures. But there has been no initiative in this regard.
In May in 2021, local MP Advocate Amirul Alam Milon also inspected eroded areas, including Baroikhali, Baharbunia, Boloibuynia, Panchakran unions. He also gave assurance of starting river administration activities within two months, repairing roads and building embankment from Sonnasi to Ghashiakhali. But it did not work.
Deputy Director of WDB-Bagerhat Engineer Md Mahamudunnabi, Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Rokonuzaman, Upazila Juba League (JL) Joint Convenor Advocate Tazinur Rahman Polash, Poura-JL Convenor Asaduzzaman Bipul and other leaders were with him.
On behalf of the victims, Union Chairman Mahmud Ali said, losing houses, several hundreds of families have turned destitute; 50 acres of land have got collapsed; so far one kilometre of the embankment has been piled to protect the town.
To protect Morrelganj Municipality Town and 20 villages from the erosion of the Panguchhi, it is dire need to make sustainable embankment.
In the last 50 years only inspection and letter-exchange took place, but no real work was done.
Executive Engineer of Upazila WDB Bishwajit Boidda said, the matter of embankment construction is under process of the government.
