Kurigram Correspondent:

Fulmati Begum lived in Majherchar village in Kurigram’s Rajarhat Upazila near the Teesta River. The river has now encroached on her land, and she seems to have no choice but to move away from her home.

“My house is now on the bank of the river. I have no other land or space for farming. No one will give any space to me either,” she said.

“I am tearing down my house and storing my belongings on the edges of other people’s property.”

Erosion by the Teesta River has claimed 15 houses over the course of five hours in Gharialdanga Union. Families in Majherchar and neighbouring Gatiasam village have suddenly been rendered homeless and destitute.

Now these families are seeking shelter on the edges of other people’s land or even sleeping under the open sky.

A visit to the Majherchar and Gatiasam villages showed that about 75 to 80 people were demolishing their houses on the riverbank. Their lamentations and the sound of the strong, swirling current of the Teesta made the air tense with anxiety.

Fulmati was carrying her child on her shoulders as she moved her household belongings.

“No one is looking after me,” she said.

Baktar Mia, another village resident threatened by the erosion, said that 15 houses were destroyed from 8am to noon on Monday by the river. Those who lost their homes were identified as Baktar Ali, Rafiqul Khan, Aftab Khan, Tofazzal, Siraj, Monnaf, Shakarul, Mominul, Umar Ali, Saiful, Samirul, Saidul, Faruk, Shahin and Khalil Mia.

Khalil from Majherchar village was sitting under a tree to cool off amid the intense heat. The middle-aged man choked up as he spoke of the loss of his birthplace, his house, his land, and his uncertain future.

“All that I own has been washed away by the river,” he said, sighing. “I have to set aside my love for my ancestral home and move to another district. Throughout the night, my sons — Shahin and Samiul — and I moved furniture out of my house. It was collapsing so fast that we didn’t even have time to catch our breath.”

“My two sons and I have bought some land for Tk 70,000 in Gokunda Union in neighbouring Lalmonirhat District. That is where I will live from now on.”

He said most of the people of Gatiasam village have taken shelter at the Sarishabari Dam area in the union, but there is no space available there either. Those who can afford it have taken shelter in the Char Dushmara and Char Ganai areas of Kaunia Upazila of the neighbouring Rangpur district, or in Gokunda.

Mahbub Rashid, acting headmaster of Char Khitab Khan Government Primary School, which is located near the Teesta River, said: “Without the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan, we cannot be saved. Even if the Water Development Board can save the school now by throwing down geo bags, there is no telling what will happen in the next flood.”

He said, “Already, people have left the area due to the erosion of about 150 houses in the area and are scattered in different places. Although there are currently 86 students enrolled in the school, you can hardly find any students in class. Many students have turned away from the school due to the fear of erosion.”

Shahidul Islam, a former member of Gharialdanga union council in Rajarhat Upazila, said: “Around 70 houses have been destroyed by the severe erosion of the Teesta River over the past days. We have listed 25 houses and applied to the Upazila administration for help on Saturday. So far, money and corrugated iron have been distributed to four houses in Khitab Khan and six houses in Char Gatiasam. The rest are in despair.”

Rajarhat Acting Upazila Nirbahi (executive) Officer and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ashadul Haque said, “We have received information about the loss of 63 houses to erosion so far. We will provide 30kg of rice per head as assistance to each affected family.”

The UNO also assured that the administration would stand by those suffering from a food crisis or in need of any assistance.