Academy

Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

   Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajganj Town Protection Embankment. Her polythene-roofed shelter looks like a cage. She is nearly 45 but looks more than her age. In front of her shelter, she is trying to make a fire to cook the day's only meal, Her weak hands tremble as she adds some fallen leaves and straw to the fire. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. The dancing of the flames reminds Meherjan of the turmoil in her life. Not long ago Meherjan had everything a family, cultivable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna consumed all her landed property gradually. It finally claimed her only shelter during the last monsoon. It took the river only a day to demolish Meher's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush. She had a happy family once Over the years, she lost her husband and her family to diseases that cruel hunger and poverty brought to the family. Now, she is the only one left to live on with the loss and the pain. The greedy Jamuna has shattered her dreams and happiness.

There are thousand others waiting to share the same fate like Meherjan. Bangladesh is a land of rivers that affect its people. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people living along the riverbanks. During each monsoon, many more villages are threatened by the roaring rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna. It is estimated that river erosion makes at least 1,00,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh, In fact, river erosion is one of the main dangers caused by climate change. If we can't take prompt action to adapt to climate change, there will be thousands of more Meherjans in our towns and villages every year.

When are many more villages threatened by the roaring rivers?

Created: 1 year ago | Updated: 1 year ago
Updated: 1 year ago

English for Toady

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