'Self-reliance',
A radio programme presented by Prokirti Foundation

Second episode
In-depth reporting on 'River Erosion'

Presenter:
Bangladesh has a special identity for her hundreds of rivers crisscrossed across the country where the cities and localities have been built mainly on the banks on the rivers. The social norms, cultures and civilization here are river-centric. There are around 300 rivers, but around fifty percent of the total 24,000 km riverbank has been eroded. Consequently, uncounted numbers of people have lost their houses in the rivers pushing them to undergo lives under poverty line. Dear listeners, today's spot reporting is focused on river erosion and its impacts on the poor.

Music: (O nodire…)

Sobina Dewan:  
The devastating floods destroyed my house for ten times forcing me to come to Ariatola, but again I am to face the same fate. I have none – neither husband nor children. Only Allah and people around me are the ones I can rely on.

Presenter:
Once Sobina Dewan had everything – house with trees around, cultivable land, but now she is helpless. She lost everything in the river Jamuna. It is not only Sobina, but thousands of victims of river erosion are now living an inhumane life in Bangladesh. They are the ones who actually have no means to pass a night with a sound sleep. They pass days after days under the open sky.

Sobina Dewan:
I had at least three acres of land, but had been devoured by the river. I have to play tricks with people now for survival. What shall I do, how shall I live with four daughters?

(music: flute)

Presenter:
There is a union named Chandanbaisha under Sariakandi upazila of Bogra. There were nine villages under Chandanbaisha, but the river Jamuna floated seven of them, while the rest two are somehow intact because of their position inside a dam. It is not only Chandanbaisha, but visits to Sariakandi revealed that the lifestyle of people there changed due to river erosion. The government is trying to construct dams as a means of protecting the localities. Many people like Mohammad Ali took shelter on the dam and are struggling for survival for years after years.

Mohammad Ali:
The river devoured my house several times. I shifted my makeshift house again and again, as the Jamuna ate up it. It is now ten years I am living on the dam. Earlier, I used to work as a day labourer, but now am quite incapable of doing hard work.

Presenter:
Mobarak's grandfather had a total of four acres of land, but major part of it has been eroded in the womb of the Jamuna.

Mobarak:
My grandfather has only one acre of land now. The river has also devoured the highland where his original house was built. The one-acre land beside the original house where we are living now may also be eroded anytime by the devastating current of the Jamuna. We must buy land then or take shelter on the dams.

Presenter:
Talukdarpar of Chandanbaisha village was once a very lively locality when the locals would cultivate land and catch fishes for survival. This Talukdarpara is also now in the womb of the Jamuna. Sajal Chakravarti is one of the locals who once lived in Talukdarpara, but now took shelter on the dam.

Sajal Chakravarti:
The people living on the dams are really helpless. Most of them are from poor and lower middleclass families. Losing their lands, once the farmers have now become fulltime fishermen. Their living standard however came down drastically making their life quite miserable on the dams. But we have nothing to do, no place to go. We are living here just like the refugees.

(music: E kul bhenge o kul tumi goro…)

Presenter:
Shahadat Hossain Dulal is the chairman of Chandanbaisha Union Parishad. Let us listen to him about the situation in this region.

Shahadat Hossain:
The people on the dams are really helpless. Most of the affected are living in Sherpur and Satgram of Bogra. Many from these makeshift hoses are working in the garment factories in Dhaka, while others are remaining here.

Presenter:
The khas land of Chandanbaisha union parishad also went into the Jamuna. Therefore, the union parishad also could not implement any project undertaken for the housing of these floating people.

Shahadat Hossain:
Yes, we could not implement the project, because we did not find any suitable land for it. There is no khas (Government owned) land inside the dam. We however started for a housing project in a small piece of khas land, but it is yet to be complete.

Presenter:
There are six unions in Sariakanda upazila all of which are subject to river erosion. Shahadat Hossain's proposal in this regard is to increase the budgetary allocation for the union parishad.

Shahadat Hossain:
Yes, our suggestion in this regard is to double the allocation in the six union parishads of Sariakandi where people are victims of river erosion.

Presenter:
He also proposed setting up a fertilizer factory for creating employment opportunities for the victims of river erosion.

Shahadat Hossain:
People of the area could have more livelihood options if there were industries like fertilizer factory or so. The government can actively think on the matter.

Presenter:
No there is an expert on disaster management Akhila D Rozario. She is working for an NGO Caritas Bangladesh.

Akhila Rozario:
The farmers' families are the most serious victims of river erosion because their only source of income is land. They usually have no other means of earning when their cultivable lands as well as houses are devoured by the river. As a result, they become floating people, while some others migrate to towns in search of jobs.

Presenter:
There are also a huge number of people who are forced to change their traditional occupations like farming and join new professions. Akhila Rozario.

Akhila Rozario:
Some people also start begging, while others engaged themselves in pulling vans or rickshaws. The women and children are more vulnerable in such situations. They work as domestic aids.

Presenter:
There are also some programmes on river erosion. Akhila Rozario…

Akhila Rozario:
Bangladesh Water Development Board has taken up a project called Jamuna-Meghna River Erosion Mitigation Project, which is operating its activities for the victims of river erosion through NGOs. With vocational training, the government is trying to make them self-reliant.

Music: (Amra Korbo Joy…)

Presenter:
Every year around 3 thousand families and 15 to 18 thousand people are becoming victims of river erosion. According to a survey, one crore 50 lac people will be economic migrants by 2050 if the trend continues. The experts claim that the fight against poverty will linger if the river erosion is not stopped.

Music: (Amra Korbo Joy…)

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Presenter (male):
Good-bye to all of you, for today. And, wishing you all the best every time, wherever you are.

End…