Mahananda, Teesta erosion on

Erosion by Mahananda river in Chapainawabganj and Teesta in Nilphamari has rendered a number of families homeless in the two districts in the last couple of days.

Our Chapainawabganj correspondent reports: Erosion by the  Mahananda took a serious turn, devouring about 50 dwelling houses at Dewantola village under Sundarpur union in Sadar upazila of the district within a week.

Besides, about three-kilometre area of the river bank at the village is facing serious threat of erosion anytime.

Villagers said about 50 houses, farmlands, bamboo clusters and mango orchards have already gone into the Mahananda in the last couple of days.

People living in the area are shifting their homesteads from the erosion-hit village to safer places as the river is devouring fresh areas every day.

“As I do not have any other land, I took lease of a land from one of the villagers and erected a tin-roofed house there for my family,” said Abdus Samad of Dewantola village.

Ekramul Haque of the village alleged that the Water Development Board (WDB) did not take necessary steps to check the erosion.

Meanwhile, locals urged the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to save hundreds of people and their belongings, including homesteads and croplands, from further erosion.

Chapainawabganj WDB Executive Engineer Syed Shahidul Alam said although they have visited the erosion-hit areas, they did not have any allocation of funds to take any immediate steps in this regard.

Meanwhile, our Nilphamari correspondent adds: 50-year-old Alima Begum of Purbo Kharibari Dighirpar village in Dimla upazila was looking bleakly towards the flowing Teesta yesterday.

The previous night, the mighty Teesta devoured her homestead, two bighas of cultivable land and everything she had.

Alima, her sick husband and adolescent son have taken shelter on the right embankment of the Teesta yesterday.

“About 28 houses have been devoured in the last three days due to the erosion and around 100 homesteads are also facing the threat of being eroded at anytime,” said Nurul Islam, a ward member of Tepa Kharibari Union Parishad (UP).

“Only a week ago, the river was flowing 400 feet from the village but erosion took a devastating turn with the recession of floodwater,” said Sukur Ali, 60, of the village.

Widow Rahima Begum said, “My tin-roofed house, utensils, trees and stored paddy were washed away in front of my eyes and I had to take shelter on the embankment with my two teenage daughters.”

Abeda Begum, 45, wife of day labourer Sukaru Mia, said her two kids are crying for food as the family is passing days in utter miseries.

Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner Khaled Rahim said he had sent letters to WDB officials to take immediate steps to prevent further erosion by dumping sandbags and CC blocks.