Hundreds in misery as Dharla devours houses, croplands

Centenarian Sharat Chandra Devnath sat on the Dharla river bank, looking very upset, as his homestead with 15 decimals of land at Devnathpara village of Mogholhat union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila is under the threat of erosion.

"I lost my three bighas of croplands to the Dharla on Friday afternoon. It was the last remaining portion of my 30 bighas of land that went into the riverbed in last few years," he said.

Fatema Begum, 42, wife of Maha Alam Miah, was crying, sitting on the river embankment as her family lost homestead with 10 decimals of land due to the river erosion at Sarkertari village of the same union on Friday afternoon.

Rezia Begum, 46, wife of Aminul Islam, Dulali Rani, 32, wife of Binod Chandra Devnath, Delejan Begum, 45, wife of Mohor Ali, are also among those who lost their homesteads, croplands, and orchards due to erosion by the Dharla River at Sarkertari, Devnathpara and Badaitari villages of Mogholhat union in last three days.

"I had made our homestead beautiful with greenery. It was our dream home. But the Dharla has devoured it, rendering our six-member family helpless," said Fatema Begum of Sarkertari village.

"We have taken shelter on the public road after losing homestead, two bighas of cropland and a bamboo cluster due to erosion by the Dharla on Friday," said Binod Chandra Devnath of Devnathpara village.

Shahidul Islam, 42, of Badaitari village said he along with his five other family members have taken shelter at a relative's house after losing homestead, six bighas cropland and two bamboo clusters due to the same reason.

"At least 120 homesteads, 250 bighas of croplands, 12 bamboo clusters and four orchards in three villages have already been eroded by the Dharla in last three days. I have informed the Water Development Board authority, seeking measures for checking the erosion," said local union parishad member Mazibar Rahman.

Shibendu Khastagir, executive engineer of WDB in Lalmonirhat, said WDB officials will start a temporary work to check the erosion at these villages in two or three days.