Erosion by Teesta, Dharla
Over 400 Lalmonirhat families rendered homeless in a week
Dharla River devouring a banana orchard at Bumka village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. The photo was taken yesterday morning.Photo: STAR
At least 415 families in 14 villages of Lalmonirhat Sadar, Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Aditmari upazilas have become homeless during last one week due to the erosion by Teesta and Dharla rivers, Water Development Board (WDB) sources said. The erosion hit areas are Bumka, Shiberkuti, Kurul, Etapota, Pangatari, Kalmati, Tajpur villages of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, Kutirpar and Balapara of Aditmari upazila, Votmari and Jamirbari of Kaliganj upazila and Sindurna, Singimari and Goddimari villages of Hatibandha upazila. Erosion by the Dharla River has taken a serious turn at Bumka village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, “I along with the other members of the family have taken shelter on the WDB embankment as my homestead has been washed away,” Ashraf Ali, 65, of Bumka village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said. Seventy-five of 120 families in the village have become homeless in one week till yesterday noon and the Dharla River has continued devouring homesteads, orchards and croplands, he said. "The Dharla has already eroded my five bighas of banana orchard in the village. Six other people have also lost their banana orchards here due to erosion by the river during the last week," Atoar Rahman, 62, of Bumka village said. Morzina Bewa, 66, of Kutirpar village in Aditmari upazila said, "My homestead has been eroded by the Teesta River and I along with six family members have taken shelter at a relative's house in the neighbouring village.” Many villagers are leaving their houses in fear of sudden erosion by Teesta and Dharla rivers as many homesteads, croplands, orchards, bamboo clusters have been washed away in last one week, said Habibur Rahman Habib, chairman of Mogholhat union parishad (UP) in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Idris Ali, chairman of Kulaghat UP in the same upazila, said, 75 families at Shiberkuti village in his union have lost their homesteads due to erosion by the Dharla River in last one week. “I urged the WDB officials to take necessary step to check river erosion in this union but they are yet to make any response,” he said. Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat WDB Enayet Ullah said, "Teesta and Dharla rivers have already devoured 415 homesteads, many croplands and orchards at 14 villages in the district. The erosion has continued but there is no special fund at my office to take immediate step to check the menace. I will submit a project profile to the higher authority concerned seeking fund for checking river erosion in this month."
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