Dharla makes many homeless

The Dharla river has been devouring land and homesteads in Sadar upazila for the last one month, leaving many families landless and homeless.

Nasir Uddin, 66, lost his homestead and six bighas of cropland in Baparitari village under Sadar upazila in the last one month. Nowadays, he sits on the bank of the Dharla river, thinking about his loss.

He and his wife Asima Begum have taken shelter in a one-chala house on another person's land in the village. “I had two tin-shed houses, which I sold at low price as they would have been devoured by the river. We were well-off but only after a month we are facing food crisis,” he said, adding that he has no way to earn livelihood.

Asima said they are thinking of begging to earn their livelihood as there is no chance of getting back their land.

Like Nasir Uddin, Amir Uddin, 70, said he and his eight-member family have taken shelter on another's land after losing their arable land, bamboo cluster and homestead in the last one month. “We are passing our days half-starved as we have no way to earn a livelihood,” he said. “We were happy a month ago, but now we cannot have a proper meal,” he said tearfully.

Fatema Begum, 42, of the village said, “There is no end to our sorrows and we are passing hard days along with our children. We don't know how we will educate our children when we have no livelihood.”

Local union parishad member Nazrul Islam said each erosion-affected family was given 10 kg of rice recently, but it was insufficient for them. “Erosion victims are passing their days in hardship and they need rehabilitation immediately,” he added.

Sub-Divisional Engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) in Lalmonirhat Md Al-Mamun said Teesta and Dharla rivers are still devouring homesteads, arable lands, orchards, and infrastructure at many villages in the district. “WDB officials are working at the most vulnerable spots to check erosion,” he added.