At least 17 houses, several bigha of farmlands and a half-kilometer road were swallowed up by the Dharla River due to severe erosion in Kurigram for the past one week. 

Of them, 10 houses at Char-Gorokmondal village under Naodanga and seven houses, farmlands and other properties at Dhoniram village under Borobhita union went into the gorge of the river.

Over 500 families of the two unions are at high risk of losing their homes and other properties anytime unless initiatives are taken immediately to halt the erosion.  

Azizul Islam and Maidul Islam of Char-Gorokmondal village said some 30 dwelling houses, farmlands of different crops including maize, sugarcane and a good portion of the only road of the locality were swallowed up by the river in two-three month since the monsoon began. 

Hachhen Ali, chairman of Naodanga union parishad, said they sent a letter to the district Water Development Board with recommendation of a local lawmaker to dump the GEObags filled with sand in erosion-prone Char-Gorokmondal village immediately.

Read: Riverbank erosion destroys homes and hopes

Responding to the letter, they dumped 2200 GEO-bags against the actual need of some 10,000 to 15,000 ones,  said Ali.

He urged the authorities concerned to take an immediate step to stop the erosion to save lives and properties.

Illias Hossain, member of the ward No 2 of Borobhita union, urged the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to stop the erosion on the both banks of the river.

Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Executive Engineer in Kurigram Abdullah Al Mamnun said they have already stopped the bank-erosion of the river by dumping 2200 GEO-bags at Char-Gorokmondal village.

“Besides, we have continuously been working to curb the erosion in an area amounting to around 2 kilometres in Borobhita union,” he added.