DHAKA: About 30,000 people at Basila Dhaka City Corporation have been living in fear of losing their homestead to the erosion of the river Buriganga. The local residents said about 30 houses in the village have already been washed away since Friday. The village, on the west of the city, is situated on the eastern bank of the river.

A four-storey building, owned by Shamimuddin Ahmed, a brick kiln owner, along with three half-brick-built houses, caved into the river Monday night. "We have dumped about 50,000 brick and 350 sand bags around the building for its protection, but all went in vain," said Billal Hossain, cousin of Shamim, on Tuesday.

Zainul Abedin, a neighbour of Shamim, said the building began to collapse in the afternoon on Monday and completely fell down at around 6:45pm. There were no casualties as the residents of the building moved to other places along with their valuables.

He said the foundation of the building was weakened by flood water. The residents said 100 more structures, including a primary school and a mosque, stand threatened. The affected families said the damage would be of no less than Tk 10 crores.

They said unscientific dredging of the river bed, unauthorized extraction of sand, construction of the Mohammadpur-Basila Road with only one culvert to flush out water and the construction of a dam by the brick kiln owners in the area are responsible for the erosion, as water pressure has increased at the Basila point.

"I have never seen erosion to such an extent in my life," said Asagar Ali, a 75-year-old villager. The villagers said trawlers often find it difficult to control the vessel because of strong current. They often bump against the bank and weaken it.

The brick kiln owners constructed the dam to divert the water for protection of their establishments. Local people cut off the dam on Monday after the collapse of the four-story building.

"If we had understood the consequence of the dam, we would have never allowed its construction," said Fallu Mia, who lost three tin-shed houses and a half of his one-story building on Sunday. The residents have been moving out to safer places with their belongings. -By arrangement with New Age/ Dhaka