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Erosion renders 60 families homeless in Palasbari

By Correspondent

MIRZA, June 23 � The tall claims of the State Government about checking erosion by the Brahmaputra has become futile and despite launching several anti-flood projects to protect the people living near the river, unabated river bank erosion by the Brahmaputra has led to panic, poverty and displacement of hundreds of hapless families.

As per investigation by this correspondent, it has been found that formidable erosion by the Brahmapura has eroded dwelling houses of over 60 families of Bardia Sapori in Palasbari LAC in Kamrup district during the last seven days and fresh areas of the village are on the verge of being eroded.

Ironically, the Government machinery has failed to launch any measure to rehabilitate the erosion-affected landless families, who have been shifting their houses at their own cost to safer places, sources said.

Sources said that over 30 families of the displaced families of Bardia village have shifted their houses to Baniapara at Bherbheri village located in the south bank of the Brahmaputra at Palasbari LAC in Kamrup district.

�Over 40 families of Bardia Sapori village have shifted their home to Balagaon and Baniapara village by purchasing land at Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per bigha while the relatively poor families, who could not afford to purchase land, have been shifting their homes to the sandy island of the Brahmaputra located near the Bardia Sapori village,� said Yaad Ali, a victim of Bardia Sapori village, who shifted his home to Baniapara village from Bardia village last week.

Residents of Bardia village, including Joynal Ali, Majid Ali, Samej Ali, Sabot Ali etc have already shifted their homes to safer places after confronting erosion by the Brahmaputra last week. More families are expected to be adversely hit by erosion within the next one or two weeks.

Yaad Ali said that unabated erosion was eating away large chunks of Bardia Sapori since May 30 and Bardia village is on the verge of disappearing altogether from the map this year.

� The thatched building of Kalardia L P School, which was established in 1983 and located at Bardia village, has also been under constant threat of being eroded during the next few days. Though the management has decided to shift the school, but they do not possess land for shifting it to a safe area ,� said Wazed Ali, a teacher of the school and a resident of Bardia Sapori village, who has also shifted his house to a safer area as it was hit by erosion.

A victim of land erosion at Bardia Sapori, Joinal Ali said that several houses of Lahisiri Chuba of Bardia Sapori village have been eroded by the Brahmaputra, though the Government has not yet launched any relief and rescue operation for the affected families.

According to Wazed Ali of Bardia Sapori village, over 30 villages of the char areas of Palasbari, Chhaygaon and Hajo LACs, including Kalardia, Pagladia, Bhatkhowadia, Bardia, Siyalmari, Maghuwa, Batahidia etc have been eroded either partially or fully, thus rendering over 30,000 families landless during the past 10 years.

However, the State Government has not yet initiated any concrete measures to fight erosion in the char areas to protect the vulnerable people.

It may be mentioned here that the water level of the Brahmaputra river is also rising at an alarming rate due to incessant rains during the past five days and over 30 villages near the Brahmaputra in Palasbari, Chhagaon, Hajo and Barkhetry LACs in Kamrup district are expected to be inundated by the flood waters. The concerned authority has to remain alert to deal with any untoward incidents arising out of the seasonal floods.

The public of the char areas have therefore demanded the State Government to take adequate measures on an urgent basis to protect the people in the villages from unabated river bank erosion by the Brahmaputra river.

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