Over 100 families have been rendered homeless in a matter of one week due to severe erosion along the Teesta riverbank areas in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram.
Daldalia union's Arjun village and Thetrai union's Gorai Pier, Dalal Para, Hokdanga and Doctor Para villages were the hardest-hit areas in the upazila.
Five educational institutions, two community clinics, roads and one hundred acres of arable land is currently at risk of plunging underwater, said local people.
At least 500 families of the region have become destitute after losing their homes and land in this year's monsoon season, a UNB correspondent reported after visiting the areas.
Zia, a resident of Arjun village in Daldalia union, said, "Although most parts of the village was devoured by the river, no visible steps were taken by the authorities concerned in this regard."
Similar allegations were made by the residents of other affected villages.
Ayub Ali, Thetrai union chairman, said the severity of erosion seems to have reached an all-time high in the past few days.
“The river is swallowing houses and lands in the blink of an eye,” he said.
“I have informed the Water Development Board and the upazila administration to take immediate action over the matter,” he added.
When contacted, Kurigram Water Development Board Executive Engineer Ariful Islam said that sandbags were being dumped in the affected areas to stop the erosion as an emergency measure.
“The authorities will discuss a more sustainable and long term solution on the matter once they get allotments,” he added.
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