Dharla erosion hits 8 villages
Around 200 acres devoured in 3 weeks
Dharla devouring homesteads, cultivable lands and orchards at Badaitari village of Mogholhat union in Sadar upazila of Lalmonirhat.Photo: STAR
Erosion by the River Dharla has devoured about 200 acres of cropland at eight villages in Mogholhat union of Sadar upazila in the last three weeks. The erosion hit villages are Badaitari, Majhitari, Kurul, Etapota, Karnopur, Kalibari, Bumka and Bowalmari. A large number of homesteads and orchards, several government and non government offices and other establishments in the union are also under threat of the erosion, said locals. Commerce Minister GM Quader visited the areas for twice in the last two years and gave assurances to villagers of taking steps to check the erosion but to no effect as yet, they said. Farmer Ahad Ali Pramanik, 55, of Badaitari village, said the river devoured one bigha of his farmland in the last two weeks. He said, earlier he lost three bighas in 2009, two bighas in 2010 and four bighas in 2011. “My homestead is now under serious threat of erosion”, he added expressing fear. Another victim Monmohan Barmon, 65, of Majhitari village, said “Two bighas of my cropland have been washed away by the river in the last two weeks”. Upazila agriculture officer Mohammad Nuruzzaman said about 3,000 acres of cultivable land and 200 different fruit orchards in the union were devoured by the Dharla in the last one year. “If proper steps had been taken to arrest the onslaught of the river immediately, majority of these croplands and orchards could have been saved”, he added. Subedar Ruhul Amin, commander of Mogholhat BGB camp, said the camp is also under threat as it is only 50 metres off the erosion point. Habibur Rahman Habib, chairman of Mogholhat union, said around 4000 families of the union have been rendered homeless in the last three years due to the erosion. “The minister and officials of Water Development Board (WDB) visited the areas several times but no steps have been taken yet to stop the onslaught by the river”, he added. Contacted, Kurigram WDB executive engineer Abu Taher said they do not have enough fund to check the erosion. “We have sent a letter to the higher authorities seeking fund to tackle the situation”, he added.
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