River Rage: Unabated Erosion Gives Villagers Sleepless Nights

Residents of the village of Koshabandar in Pirganj Upazila, Thakurgaon district, are living in constant fear of their homes being swallowed by the Tangon River, which is causing extensive erosion of its banks.

Residents say that they can no longer risk remaining at home with the Tangon only a few meters away. Authorities, they allege, turned a blind eye to the problem of riverbank erosion in the area, amid repeated complaints, reports UNB.

Every year, the river is swollen by seasonal rains and erosion occurs mainly after the monsoon water subsides and the brittle soil on the banks collapses.

Despite the degradation of village roads and farmland, local residents say that no effective action has yet been taken by the authorities, and they now live not only in fear of losing their land but also their livelihoods.

"Some 300 families in the village are spending sleepless nights. The Water Development Board and the local administration have been informed umpteen times," said Golam Mostafa, chairman of the Kosharaniganj union.

"A draft of the project has been sent to the ministry concerned. We are awaiting a response from the government, after which we can proceed," said the executive engineer of Thakurgaon Water Development Board.

When contacted, Tariful Islam, the project implementation officer, told UNB, “A list of affected families has also been sent to the higher authorities concerned.”