Teesta erosion turns over 400 families homeless

Surging water of the Teesta river engulfed a large number of homesteads, rendering 430 families shelterless within the last two weeks in different char lands of Sundarganj upazila.

Onrush of water from upstream has intensified erosion in Lalchamar, Ujan Bachagari, Badamer char, Charitabari, Belka and char Haripur villages along the Teesta basin, where 430 families shifted to safer places after losing their homesteads and croplands, while over 1,000 families are still under erosion threat.

The erosion victims took shelter on nearby highlands and abandoned dyke, and many have migrated to other char lands.

“We did not know when the Eid day passed by as we remained busy with shifting our belongings to safer places,” said Saider, a farm labourer.

“I spent all the money from my little savings for shifting my belongings to a safer place as my homestead on two decimals of land was eroded away by the surging water overnight,” said another labour Faisal Mia of Badamer char.

“The erosion point was hundred yards from my dwelling home and remained inactive for the last two years. The erosion suddenly turned violent prior to Eid and within three days surging water devoured around 15 homesteads,” said Shamsher Ali a small shop-keeper.

Kapasia Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Jalaluddin said erosion by the Teesta began furiously five days before Eid and many of the char dwellers could not enjoy the festival as they were engaged shifting movable properties to safer places.

Till now, over 250 families in only his union have lost their homesteads, he said.

The UP has submitted a list of erosion victims to Sundarganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Golam Kibria for allocation of relief materials, he added.

“We have distributed two kg rice each among 200 erosion victims at Belka and will provide more relief soon after receiving fresh allocation,” the UNO said.

Gaibandha-1 lawmaker Barrister Shamim Hyder Patwari visited the erosion affected areas of Chandipur and Kapasia unions and assured the people of all possible help and steps for protection from river erosion.