Villagers join hands to fight Dharla erosion

Around 1,500 families of the villages took part in the voluntary work at Nankar in Bhogdanga union of sadar upazila

Many of them have already lost their houses and farmlands, but no one came forward to save them from the onslaught by the Dharla River. Having failed to manage government support, the helpless people of three villages finally joined their hands to help each other to protect themselves from the bank erosion,
reports UNB.Around 1,500 families of the villages took part in the voluntary work at Nankar in Bhogdanga union of sadar upazila.
They collected 2,000 bamboos from 25 villages of the upazila. With their relentless efforts, 300 metres of piling works have already been completed.
Habibur Rahman, a farmer of Nankar village, said his 50 bighas of farm land and dwelling house went into the gorge of the river during the last 2-3 years.
The dwelling houses, farmlands, trees of 10 villages, including Nankar, Satbhita, Kaim Boraibari, Nandalaler Bhita, Jagmohoner Char, Pangarchar and Sardarpara village, have already been washed away by Dharala, rendering many villagers homeless.
The residents of Nankar and Nandalaler Bhita alleged that the government only provides relief to erosion-affected and homeless people but does not take any step to prevent the erosion.
The villagers sought an effective initiative to protect them from erosion.
Abdul Malek, assistant teacher of Nandalaler Bhita Government Primary School, said the two-storey school might go under water in the next monsoon if the government does not take any initiative to protect it.
Majibur Rahman, who basically has taken the initiative of piling works with the
participation of villagers, said they had informed the authorities concerned for taking steps to check the riverbank
erosion.
As there has been no initiative by the local Water Development Board (WDB) to stop the erosion, the people of the
villages themselves built bamboo piling spars and dumped sand bags voluntarily along the erosion point in an attempt to protect their homesteads and croplands, he added.
Shafiqul Islam, executive engineer of Kurigram WDB, said that they have taken a project for the erosion-affected area, and the work will start when they will get government allocation.

 

Villagers join hands to fight Dharla erosion

Around 1,500 families of the villages took part in the voluntary work at Nankar in Bhogdanga union of sadar upazila

Many of them have already lost their houses and farmlands, but no one came forward to save them from the onslaught by the Dharla River. Having failed to manage government support, the helpless people of three villages finally joined their hands to help each other to protect themselves from the bank erosion, reports UNB.Around 1,500 families of the villages took part in the voluntary work at Nankar in Bhogdanga union of sadar upazila. They collected 2,000 bamboos from 25 villages of the upazila. With their relentless efforts, 300 metres of piling works have already been completed. Habibur Rahman, a farmer of Nankar village, said his 50 bighas of farm land and dwelling house went into the gorge of the river during the last 2-3 years. The dwelling houses, farmlands, trees of 10 villages, including Nankar, Satbhita, Kaim Boraibari, Nandalaler Bhita, Jagmohoner Char, Pangarchar and Sardarpara village, have already been washed away by Dharala, rendering many villagers homeless. The residents of Nankar and Nandalaler Bhita alleged that the government only provides relief to erosion-affected and homeless people but does not take any step to prevent the erosion. The villagers sought an effective initiative to protect them from erosion. Abdul Malek, assistant teacher of Nandalaler Bhita Government Primary School, said the two-storey school might go under water in the next monsoon if the government does not take any initiative to protect it. Majibur Rahman, who basically has taken the initiative of piling works with the participation of villagers, said they had informed the authorities concerned for taking steps to check the riverbank erosion. As there has been no initiative by the local Water Development Board (WDB) to stop the erosion, the people of the villages themselves built bamboo piling spars and dumped sand bags voluntarily along the erosion point in an attempt to protect their homesteads and croplands, he added. Shafiqul Islam, executive engineer of Kurigram WDB, said that they have taken a project for the erosion-affected area, and the work will start when they will get government allocation.