Residents along the banks of the Gorai River in Kushtia have been gripped by fear after sudden and severe riverbank erosion hit the Tebaria area of Kumarakhali Municipality at an unusual time of the year.
“I have lived here for 30 years, but I have never seen the river break like this,” said 62-year-old Madina Khatun, wife of the late Sekendar Ali in Tebaria.
“The riverbank keeps collapsing with a loud crash every now and then. I am terrified that our house could disappear at any moment,” she said, urging the authorities to take immediate action.
Over the past week alone, about 30 bighas of agricultural land, including standing crops, have already been swallowed by the river, locals said.
They warned that another 50 bighas of farmland and at least 300 families are now at risk, as no immediate protective measures have been taken.
Locals said river water has started to recede, while newly emerged sandbars in the middle of the river have diverted the current towards the banks, accelerating erosion.
Kumarakhali Municipality and the upazila town are located along the Gorai riverbank, where around 60,000 people live in the first-class municipality established in 1869.
Between Shaheed Golam Kibria Bridge in Ward 8 and Agradakunda area in Ward 9, nearly a one-kilometre stretch of riverbank remains without any embankment.
Residents alleged that although river dredging is carried out every year by the Bangladesh Water Development Board, no work has been done in the Tebaria–Agradakunda stretch over the past four to five years.
As a result, sandbars have formed midstream, forcing water to flow close to the banks and triggering erosion, they said.
A visit to the area showed riverbank collapse continuing intermittently from Shaheed Golam Kibria Bridge to the house of farmer Seiman Sheikh in Agradakunda, while a concrete road runs about 100 metres away.
Hundreds of semi-permanent and tin-shed houses stand near the road, while mustard, maize, sesame and onion crops have been cultivated on farmland closer to the river.
Farmer Seiman Sheikh said at least 30 bighas of farmland have disappeared into the river in the past seven days.
“Now we are extremely worried about our homes,” he said.
“Government officials came and inspected the area, but erosion is continuing as no measures have been taken.”
Tea vendor Samir Chakma from Tebaria said the drying river and emerging sandbars have pushed the current towards the banks, threatening homes, roads, mosques, temples and other structures.
“The river behaves strangely,” he said.
“It erodes when water rises and also when it falls. We urgently need a permanent embankment.”
Mosharraf Hossain, a staff member at Tebaria Sherkandi Government Primary School, said erosion has reached close to 22 decimals of land where hybrid grass is cultivated.
“A permanent embankment is essential for a long-term solution,” he said.
Kushtia BWDB Executive Engineer Rashidul Islam said officials had visited the erosion-hit area after receiving information.
“At the moment, there is no government allocation for embankment construction or erosion control,” he said.
“The matter has been reported to higher authorities.”
Kumarakhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farzana Akhter said the administration is aware of the situation.
“We will discuss the matter with the Water Development Board and take necessary steps as quickly as possible,” she said.
