Unit
2 Lesson 1
"The Greed of the Mighty Rivers"
Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Town
Protection Embankment. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire
unsteady. The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoil in her life.
মেহেরজান সিরাজগঞ্জ টাউন প্রোটেকশন বাঁধের এক বস্তিতে বাস
করেন। যমুনা নদী থেকে বয়ে আসা মৃদু বাতাস আগুনের শিখাকে দুলিয়ে তোলে। সেই দুলতে থাকা
শিখাগুলো মেহেরজানকে তার জীবনের অশান্তির কথা মনে করিয়ে দেয়।
Not long ago Meherjan had everything-family, arable
land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her land
property. It finally claimed her only shelter during the last monsoon. It took
the river only a day to devour 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.
এক সময় মেহেরজানের সবকিছু ছিল—পরিবার, চাষযোগ্য জমি ও গবাদি
পশু। ধীরে ধীরে যমুনার ভাঙনে তার সমস্ত জমিজমা গ্রাস হয়ে যায়। শেষ বর্ষায় তার একমাত্র
আশ্রয়টিও নদীগর্ভে বিলীন হয়ে যায়। মাত্র একদিনের ব্যবধানে নদী মেহেরজানের ঘর, গাছপালা,
সবজির বাগান ও বাঁশঝাড় সবই গিলে ফেলে। একসময় তিনি সুখী পরিবারে বাস করতেন। কিন্তু
বছরের পর বছর ক্ষুধা ও দারিদ্র্যের করাল গ্রাসে তার স্বামীসহ পরিবারের অন্য সদস্যরাও
নানা রোগে আক্রান্ত হয়ে মৃত্যুবরণ করেন। এখন শুধু তিনিই রয়ে গেছেন, বেদনা আর হারানোর
যন্ত্রণা নিয়ে বেঁচে থাকার জন্য। লোভী যমুনা তার স্বপ্ন ও সুখকে চূর্ণ-বিচূর্ণ করে
দিয়েছে।
There are thousand others waiting to share the same
fate like Meherjan. Bangladesh is a land of rivers, some of whose banks
overflow or erode during monsoon. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people
living along the river banks. During each monsoon many more villages are
threatened by the mighty rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna. It
is estimated that river erosion makes at least 100,000 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 actions to adapt to climate change,
there will be thousands of more Meherjans in our towns and villages every year.
B. Multiple Choice Questions: ( Page 10 )
In paragraph 3, "mighty rivers" mean:
(a) rivers that have huge volumes of water and very strong currents."Landed property" means:
(c) property in the form of a source of income to its owner."Whispering wind" means:
(b) wind that blows with a hissing sound."Dancing flames" mean:
(c) flames that are made unstable by the blast of air.
C. Questions & Answers:
a. What does Meherjan use to make fire for
cooking her meals?
🔹 The passage does
not explicitly mention what Meherjan uses to make fire for cooking, but it
describes how the wind from the Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. This suggests
that she might be using firewood, straw, or other traditional fuel sources.
b. What property did Meherjan lose due to
river erosion?
🔹 Meherjan lost her
arable land, cattle, house, trees, vegetable garden, and bamboo bush due to the
erosion caused by the Jamuna River.
c. What do you know about Meherjan's
family?
🔹 Meherjan once had
a happy family, but over the years, she lost her husband and other family
members to diseases caused by hunger and poverty. Now, she is the only one left
to bear the pain of her losses.
d. In which season is river erosion most
likely to occur?
🔹 River erosion is
most likely to occur during the monsoon season when riverbanks overflow or
collapse due to strong currents and heavy rainfall.
e. Why is the phrase 'greedy Jamuna' used
to describe the river?
🔹 The phrase
'greedy Jamuna' is used metaphorically to show how the river continuously
swallows land, houses, and people's belongings, leaving them homeless and
helpless.
f. What greed do you notice in the
description?
🔹 The 'greed'
described in the passage refers to the relentless way the Jamuna River erodes
land and destroys homes, as if it is never satisfied with what it has taken.
This symbolizes the continuous suffering of people living along the riverbanks.
D. Complete the summary of Meherjan's life with words/phrases from the box.
Meherjan is a typical (1) slum dweller who lives in a slum. She (2) lost her shelter and properties due to the erosion of the river Jamuna. She also lost her family. Her husband had died of diseases caused by poverty and (3) shortage of food. Now, she is only a (4) homeless woman. Like Meherjan, there are many people who have become the (5) victims of river erosion.
River erosion is still posing (6) threats to the lives and properties of thousands of people. People living (7) close to rivers are the most likely victims of river erosion. (8) One lakh people become homeless due to river erosion in Bangladesh. Meherjan's life is just one (9) example of how climate (10) affects the lives of thousands of people.
