Human chain held to protect Chilmari Port from erosion in Kurigram

ABDUL WAHED:

Local people of Chilmari upazila yesterday held rally and formed a human chain near Bangmara ghat (river port) at Chilmari upazila to protect Chilmari Port from erosion by Brahmaputra River.

Local people were gathered near Bangmara ghat near of Brahmaputra River at the upazila at 12.30 pm on the day and held rally there. Locals Golam Haider, Azir Uddin, Taj Uddin, Eshaque Ali and Abdul Hamid spoke in the rally.

The speakers said that local water development board has taken a project to protect Chilmari upazila town. But the project is going on with slow motion. The three separate projects of three-kilometer block-pitching and dumping works at Putimari, Kazaldanga and Rajarbhita areas under the upazila have been completed but the protection work of Chilmari town has not been started till now.

The Chilmari Port near the upazila headquarter has been shifted in one-km far in Bangmara ghat causing erosion by the river. As a result the main port land is being lost in the river day by day. They demanded of starting the works of second and third phages of the protection project.

Chilmari UNO Md. Enamul Haque said that the locals’ demand has been informed to higher authority through the Deputy Commissioner (DC). Now many constructions including the river port have been threatened by the river Brahmaputra.

Executive Engineer of local water development board (WDB) M. Ashafuddaula said that the first phage was completed last year. The second and third phages will be started after getting fund.