Life chained to nature’s wrath
It’s Friday afternoon. She lost everything to the river before her eyes. It was not the first time. The flood victim’s life has been chained to the wrath of nature for years.
Twenty-year-old Shahida Begum along with her three children and husband again went back to the dyke of Water Development Board (WDB) on Friday as her house was devoured by the Teesta river in Aditmari upazila.
With recession of floodwater, the five went back to their house at Teesta shoal Kutirpar village on Thursday afternoon but within 24 hours they had to go back to the government dyke with movable property again as the homestead went under water due to erosion by the river.
Shahida along with her day labourer husband Azizul Islam and sons— Saidul Islam, 5, Saiful Islam, 3, and six-month-old Shariful Islam—is now passing a miserable life without food.
Like Shahida many villagers have taken shelter on the government road and dyke after losing their everything to the river.
“Our house went under floodwater when Teesta was swelling above the danger level and we took shelter on the dyke. We spent 10 days half-starved at the dyke or had to go hungry. We received 10 kg of rice as relief from the government during the time,” said Shahida.
“We again took shelter on the dyke since the house was devoured by the river on Friday afternoon. Now I can’t feed my baby properly as I’m hungry,” she said in tears.
Shahida’s husband Azizul said they got married seven years ago and their homestead was devoured three times during this period. Besides, three bighas of arable land went into the river.
“My wife cultivated a variety of vegetables on the premises of our house on six decimals of land and the family’s need was fulfilled by cultivating the items,” Azizul said, adding that those are now dream only.
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