Dharla erosion makes their future bleak

Although their families lost everything they had within the space of a couple of weeks, two minor cousins Khalid and Sifat are unaware of their loss.

When their parents are thinking about the future of their minor children, the two were happy to play on the vulnerable bank of the river Dharla.

Like these two kids, the future of over 120 children from nearly 60 families of the village has become uncertain, as most of them have been rendered homeless due to the erosion by Dharla river in the last one month, said Mansur Ali, 62, an erosion affected victim of Badaitari village under Mogholhat union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Khalid's father Sirajul Islam, 33, of the village, said he owned four bighas of cropland just two weeks ago, but now he did not even have any homestead where he can live with his family.

“I have taken shelter at one of our neighbouring relative's house as the recent erosion has snatched away all my arable lands and homestead in two weeks time,” Sirajul added.

“Only a month ago, we had a dream to educate our son, but the Dharla robbed my dream as there is nothing left for us due to the recent erosion,” said Sifat's mother Selina Begum, 24.

“We had seven bighas of croplands and a fruit orchard only a month ago, but everything has gone into the womb of Dharla,” Selina said.

Sifat's father Idris Ali, 35, said, “I raised a litchi orchard in one bigha of land and was planning to spend the earned money for our children's education purpose but the erosion by Dharla swallowed that away along with my homestead and the orchard,” Idris said.

Nazrul Islam Bhutto, local union parishad member, said most of the erosion affected families of the village have taken shelter on government khas lands, open roads and their relatives' houses.