Bangladesh News

The mighty Jamuna appears to be a serious threat to the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge and many other establishments in five districts as the river is changing its course eroding the western bank in the last few years.

This devastating trend of the river is revealed by experts from Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Service (CEGIS) after analysing satellite pictures of several years.

A survey report by CEGIS says on an average 48 metres of land is eroded on the right side of the 220-kilometre-long Jamuna every year.

On the other hand, BWDB Bogra circle survey report says 150 metres of land on an average is eroded in the circle area.

The erosion is so severe in certain places that the river devours around one kilometre of land within a year, locals observe.

The river is moving westwards due to creation of large shoals on its main flow as well as accumulation of sand on the main riverbed seriously, says Shaikh Abdul Momin, additional chief engineer, BWDB.

The western side of the Jamuna bridge along with other establishments and huge cultivable land would come under threat if the ongoing erosion continues and the river’s main flow can’t be changed, warns Additional Chief Engineer Shaik Abdul Momin.

A renowned geologist said no river in the world has such a severe course-changing characteristic. “We call it braided river. It is the only river in the world that changes its course again and again,” he said.

There is enough reason to believe that this is happening due to the geological structures of Bangladesh, the geologist said.

The Jamuna is now a threat to areas under Sirajganj municipality and Sariakandi upazila headquarters. One of the top officials from the Jamuna Bridge Department says the river is threatening the west guide bund of the bridge.

“If the trend of the river continues, the bridge will come under severe threat in future,” warns an engineer from Dhaka.

The Jamuna is the main flow of the famous Brahmaputra, which begins at a great glacier mass in the Kailash Range south of Gunkyud Lake in southern Tibet at an elevation of 5,300m from where it flows through China, India, and Bangladesh for 2,880km before reaching the Bay of Bengal through a joint channel with the Ganges, known as Padma in Bangladesh.

A few hundred years ago, the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh had a different course. It entered the country near Bahadurabad in Jamalpur and merged with the Meghna at Bhairab going through Sherpur. It shifted to the present course following an earthquake in 1777.

Officials of BWDB say recently collected satellite images show huge cultivable land along with many government and non-government establishments had been eroded in the last few years despite protection in the districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj and Pabna.

The images further exhibit a dreadful picture. A huge tract of cultivable land and establishments is going to be eroded soon on the right side of the river within a few years if the main flow doesn’t change its course or precautionary measures are not adopted.

BWDB Executive Engineer (Ex-n) in Bogra Circle Office Sarder Sirazul Haque said at least 80 metres of land on the right side of the river in Karnipara village in Shariakandi, Bogra was eroded in 10 days in April.

The CEGIS survey report says at least 2.3 million tonnes riverbed materials were accumulated in the main channel every day in July and August at Bahadurabad point in Gaibandha.

Creation of shoals with bed materials in the main channel has resulted in as many as 13 flows in Bahadurabad, says a senior BWDB official.

The main flow has been diverted towards the east and western side of the Jamuna bridge due to creation of many shoals in the up and down streams. Some people say the mighty Jamuna started to move towards west in the mid-70s and has so far advanced even 10 to 20 kilometres in some places.

In Kurigram many establishments including Chilmari police station and Ulipur Jol police station have been relocated. In Rajibpur, more than 800 families had to shift to Nunkhaowar char from Charmiaji due to erosion.

In Gaibandha, Phulchhari upazila headquarters had to be shifted from Gozaria to Kalibazar. Besides, the entire Mollahchar union has been eroded in the past few years.

The Bera river port has also been relocated 15 kilometres away from its earlier location due to erosion, locals say.

Mohammed Jahir, 45, son of Mohammed Solaiman of Natunpenchakola in Bera, Pabna, said the house of his grandfather was eroded long ago and the land is still in the river.

He now lives on the embankment in Bera. Just 12 years ago, the Jamuna flood protection embankment stood 15 kilometres off from its present location, local people and officials concerned say.

In Sirajganj, the jailhouse, a helipad, post office and many other establishments were washed away and relocated during the 80s.

The right bank was then protected by Sirajganj town protection embankment. But now erosion is threatening the Sirajganj municipality areas. Devouring over one kilometre in a few years, the river is now only 100 metres away from Shariakandi upazila headquarters.

Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj has been declared as one of the most vulnerable upazilas on the right bank of the Jamuna, according to the survey reports of BWDB and CEGIS. A huge tract of land has been eroded and many areas of the upazila are on the verge of a merge.

Amjad Hossain, 60, son of Jellal Hossain, said a few years ago he used to live in Meghai Uttarpara village, which is now in the riverbed. “The river is moving towards west on average one kilometre every year,” said Amjad.

Kazipur Union Parishad member Mohammed Sarwar Hossain said the continuation of river erosion has now become a fearful event for the people of the adjacent villages.

Thousands of families have become landless due to erosion by the Jamuna. One of the victims said he had inherited 100 acres of cultivable land from his grandfather, but now he does not even have a house to live in. All lost to the erosion.

“The entire Hatiagram village including my house in Ulipur in Kurigram was devoured by the Jamuna two years ago,” said Md Shafiul, 35, son of Abor Uddin.

“Now I am living in Nilkontho village of the same upazila in a small room two kilometres away from the previous house,” said Md Shafiul.

Naik Ali, 52, of Satarkandi village in Phulchhari upazila in Gaibandha, said his entire village was devoured by the Jamuna in 1993. Now he lives in Kanchipara in the same upazila four kilometres away from his previous village.

Mohammed Sirajul Islam, 53, of Newdhapgram village at Shariakandi upazila in Bogra said his house in Dhapgram fell victim to the river a few years ago.

The village he is now living in is just one kilometre away from the river, which has moved more than 10km westward from its original channel in Shariakandi in last 36 years, he said.