Dharla continues devouring land in Lalmonirhat
The Dharla river has continued devouring vast tracts of croplands at two bordering villages under Mogholhat union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, leaving many others in fear of losing their land and dwellings.
Meanwhile, the government has allocated Tk 50 lakh to check the erosion temporarily in a 200-metre portion although a 600-metre area remains vulnerable.
Erosion victim Hasnat Ali, 52, of Chawratari village said WDB officials visited the affected areas and found that 600 metres of the embankment is vulnerable.
“My five bighas of land has already gone into the riverbed in the last one month and my homestead is only 50 metres away from the erosion spot,” he added.
Mogholhat Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Habibur Rahman said he appealed to Water Development Board (WDB) authorities to check the erosion temporarily in 600 metres vulnerable portion of the embankment, but WDB is working to check the erosion in only 200-metre areas, showing fund crisis as the reason.
“If immediate steps are not taken to check the erosion in the rest 400 metres embankment it may cause serious threat to Chawratari and Dighaltari villages under his union,” the UP chairman said.
Lalmonirhat WDB Sub Divisional Engineer (SDE) Quamrul Islam said they were checking erosion in the most vulnerable 200 metres areas of the embankment.
“A letter has been sent to the authorities concerned, seeking allocation of fund for checking erosion in the rest 400 metres embankment,” he said, adding that contractors were engaged in preparing 10,600 sand bags, which would be dumped in the 200 metres vulnerable spot next week.
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