Erosion by Atrai River has taken a serious turn devouring hundreds of acres of land and rendering scores of families homeless in Khansama upazila of Dinajpur district.  Sources said about 200 families of the affected villages have left their homes to safer places.   Villagers said a total of 500 acres of land has disappeared into the river this year. Nearly 10 acres of land has gone into the river over the past seven days, they said.
  “Due to the sandy land in the area, the rate of erosion is high,” Jamir Uddin, a resident of Alokjhari village said on Saturday.  “Now, there is hardly any farmer of our village who has not been affected by the Atrai river erosion,” he said.  “I have lost more than 4 acres of land to the erosion,” said Md. Abdul Jabbar of Alokjhari village of the upazila. Besides, the affected villagers are yet to receive any compensation for the losses of their properties caused by the climatic change.  Commitments by political leaders in the past to check the rive erosion have turned hollow.  Villagers said if initiatives are not taken immediately the remaining land and homes of these villages will be disappeared due to severe erosion of Atrai river.  The villages that have been badly affected are Alokjhari, Gobindapur and Basuli in Khansama upazila of the district.  Villagers said if steps are not taken 400 more families will need to be evacuated this  season.
 The erosion has been triggered by rains and strong current in the river during the current rainy season.
 Md. Muktar Hossain, Executive Engineer of  Dinajpur Water Development Board, said the situation has been brought to the government notice. The authorities have been requester allocate fund for checking erosion, he said adding: “I have visited the area on Saturday”.
 Md. Muktar Hossain, Executive Engineer of  Dinajpur Water Development Board, Sajebur Rahman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Khansama, Moksedul Gani, Chairman of Alokjhari Union of Khansama Upazila and leaders of local Awamiligue visited the affected area on Saturday.
They assured the villagers of measures against the erosion as per instruction of Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali, local lawmaker and Minister of Foreign Affairs.