Residents of riverside areas in Bangladesh have taken the initiative to build traditional disaster prevention structures known as 'bamboo dams.'
According to local media on the 1st (local time), about 500 residents of Bahadurabad in Mymensingh Division, located approximately 140 km north of the capital Dhaka, have started constructing bamboo dams to prevent erosion damage caused by the Brahmaputra River during the monsoon season (rainy season, June to September).
They purchased materials such as bamboo with funds amounting to 100,000 Taka (about 1.2 million KRW), raised by local markets and villagers, and completed a 90-meter-long dam in mid-last month, just one week after starting the project.
They plan to build six additional bamboo dams within this year.
The residents have been requesting the government to build concrete dams to prevent river erosion damage for over 50 years but have received no response.
One resident said, "Since 1974, the Bahadurabad area has suffered from erosion damage caused by the Brahmaputra River every year," adding, "Over the past 50 years, the river has engulfed many surrounding villages."
He explained that last year, about 300 households lost their homes and over 1 million square meters of farmland, and approximately 1,000 residents living along a 2 km stretch of the riverbank are at risk of losing everything during this year's rainy season.
A local official stated that news of the residents' bamboo dam construction and their long-standing requests have been conveyed to the relevant government departments.
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