Farmers' future bleak
Selim Miah, 48, a vegetable grower at Baparitari village in Mogholhat under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila was seen in deep thought beside the river embankment as his seven bighas of land with different vegetables, mainly cauliflower, were devoured by the Dharla river in the last five days, while two bighas are at risk of being washed away anytime.
He said he used to earn around Tk 5 lakh from farming vegetables on the lands round the year, now he does not know how he will support his family. “We have taken shelter on the road as our homestead was devoured,” he added.
Sudhir Chandra Barman, 56, of the village said he was removing brinjal seedlings to a safe place as his land full of vegetables was devoured by the Dharla. “I would have got the brinjal from the field within a week, but the Dharla devoured the land,” he said, adding they have taken shelter on the road after losing their lands and homesteads.
“Erosion by the Dharla has snatched away our dreams, hopes, future planning as we have lost our arable lands and homesteads in the last few days,” said vegetable grower Nazrul Islam, 58, of Kurul village.
Union Parishad (UP) member Nazrul Islam Bhuttu said at least 400 farmers have become landless as about 900 bighas of land with different vegetables, and even their homesteads, have been devoured by the Dharla at three villages in the last three weeks.
Mogholhat UP chairman Habibur Rahman said a good numbers of farmers of four villages in his union are under threat of losing their lands with vegetables as the Dharla continues washing away land.
Sub-Divisional Engineer of Water Development Board WDB in Lalmonirhat Md Al-Mamun said the Dharla has been eroding croplands, homesteads, orchards at different villages in Mogholhat and Kulaghat unions under Lalmonirhat sadar. Taking help of local people, WDB officials are trying to check the erosion temporarily with bamboo piling, he added.
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