Dharla keeps clawing at villages

Meher doesn't know where to live along with his six-member family as the river Dharla devoured his last shelter at Badaitari village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila on December 23 night.

Earlier his homestead was eroded four times in the last three months. "I have lost my six bighas of arable land and a fruit orchard on one bigha during the period," said erosion-hit farmer Meher Jamal, 66.

Like him, farmer Unus Ali, 58, of the same village was crying on the river bank on December 24 morning as his homestead and two bighas of arable land with vegetables were devoured by the river Dharla in four days. "My family has become homeless, landless and we don't know how we will maintain our livelihood," said erosion affected Unus.

Sixty-five-year-old farmer Abdar Hossain of the village said his three bighas of arable land with standing vegetables was devoured by the Dharla in the last four days and now his homestead on 10 decimals of land is under the threat of eroding at anytime. "Earlier our homestead was devoured twice by the Dharla in the last two months," he said, adding that he has now no ability to buy a piece of land.

"The river has snatched our hopes, dreams and future as it has made us homeless and landless, leaving us in a state of starvation," said Meher's wife Sahera Khatun, 58.

"We took shelter on a road on Friday night after losing our homestead and we are very worried about how we will earn livelihood as our arable lands have gone into the the Dharla," said Abdar Hossain, 52, another farmer of the village.

Local union parishad member Nazrul Islam Bhutto said at least 50 families have become landless due to the river erosion during the last one week. "Over 200 families are under threat as erosion continued in the village," Nazrul said, adding that he has informed the authorities concerned of the Water Development Board (WDB) of the matter  several times.

The WDB Executive Engineer Abu Bakkar said he has no fund to check erosion. "The WDB officials visited the village and fund has been sought for erosion protection work," he said.

The erosion affected people urged the government for taking prompt step to save the families and their arable lands and orchards from the Dharla.