Teesta devours homesteads, croplands in Lalmonirhat

With recession of floodwater, erosion by the Teesta River took a serious turn in the last three days, devouring over 100 homesteads and a vast tract of croplands at 15 villages in Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Aditmari upazilas of the district.

The affected villages are Talermor, Dhubni, Gaddimari, Sindurna, Dawabari, Doyani, Haldibari, Bichhandoi and Char Dhubni of Hatibandha upazila, Bhotmari, Sholmari and Kalikapur of Kaliganj upazila; Kutirpar, Balapara and Gobordhan of Aditmari upazila.

At least 110 homesteads, 10 fruit orchards, four bamboo clusters, 200 bighas of farmland and a road have been eroded by the river during the period, said local Water Development Board (WDB) sources.

Abu Nur Hossain of Talermor village in Hatibandha upazila said, with recession of floodwater, the river devoured Barakhata- Hatibandha bypass road.

“We the villagers are trying to protect the road from the erosion by building bamboo piling,” he said.

Delwar Hossain, an affected villager of Char Dhubni, said at least 20 families in the area have been rendered homeless due to the erosion.

Lalmonirhat WDB Sub-Divisional Engineer Al Mamun said they have already taken steps to thwart the erosion. 

In Mymensingh, erosion by the Old Brahmaputra River devoured hundreds of homesteads and a vast tract of croplands at 20 villages in Sadar and Gouripur upazilas of the district in the last few days, reports our correspondent.

The affected areas include Char Nilaxia, Char Bhabakhali, Bhatipara, Bhangnamari, Gazariapara, Kashiar Char, Morichar, Namapara, Taanpara and Bottola Bazar, said the erosion-hit people.