The River Dharla eroded about half a kilometer of Lalmonirhat-Phulbari road at Shiberkuti and Shimulbari villages under the Lalmonirhat sadar upazila in the last few days, causing a lot of inconvenience to the villagers.
Communication with the adjoining areas as well as the district headquarters has been suspended as the road was the only link to the other areas, said the locals. A large number of homesteads, vast tracts of croplands and orchards in the area have come under water during the period.
Idris Ali, chairman of Kulaghat union parishad (UP), held negligence of the concerned authorities responsible for the present situation.
He said: “Officials from the local water development board (WDB) and roads and highway department (RHD) had visited the area several times but did not take any measures to check the erosion despite repeated pleas.”
At least 1000 families of six villages are living under high risk, as they might be rendered homeless anytime by the Dharla erosion, added the UP chairman.
Samad Miah, an erosion-hit victim of Shiberkuti village, said sugarcane crop on his 10 bighas of land was eroded by the river during the period.
“I had nurtured a banana orchard on one acre of land which was covered by the river water last week. I lost our homestead and took shelter on the dam built by the WDB in the village,” said Momen Uddin, a resident of Shimulbari village.
Taherul Islam, a college student of Shimulbari village said thousands of people had been facing untold miseries since the main road has been devoured by the river. “Now we have to use boats for commuting but they are not always available,” he said.
When contacted, Lalmonirhat RHD executive engineer Suruz Miah said the water development board of the area would take measures to protect the road and property from the erosion caused by the Dharla river in the two villages of Kulaghat union.
Executive Engineer of WDB Kurigram zone Abu Taher said last week they had sent a letter to the concerned ministry, outlining that Tk9.6m would be needed to thwart the Dharla erosion at the vulnerable points but had yet to receive a response.
We will start the project once we receive the funds, he said.
