NILAMBAZAR, June 15 - For years on end, flood and erosion have been causing untold miseries to thousands of people in Karimganj district. The Singla and Longai and their tributaries like Mora-shingla, Kakra and Kachua are posing a serious threat to lakhs of bighas of cropland and residential plots.
The people of South Karimganj, North Karimganj, Ratabari and Badarpur LACs in Karimganj district, particularly those who have been living on the banks of river Kushiyara, Longai, Singla, Kakra and Kachua, covering a distance of more than a 50 kms, have expressed their strong resentment over the alleged indifferent attitude of the government and even the local public representatives towards this serious issue.
Over 4 to 50 kms of area have been eroded in Karimganj district by the aforementioned rivers till date. Sources revealed that during the last 11 years crore of rupees have been spent for checking the problem, but no positive result has witnessed thus far.
According to government records, South Karimganj, North Karimganj and their adjoining areas are affected by flood and erosion by river Longai. Hundreds of people have been displaced and more than 300 metres of land have been eroded in Gandhai Mukh, Kujab, Digalbak and Nalua areas under Karimganj Sadar subdivision while the State Water Resources Department disclosed that more than two kms of land have been eroded by river Longai in Dolcherra area under Patherkandi Circle.
Likewise, 4 kms at Baghan in Nilambazar, 5 kms from Dolcherra to Roghutuk to Batoiya, one-and-a-half kms in Nalua have been eroded by the Longai river. In Ratabari, from Baruala to Pollisree, Bhabanipur, Nalarpar, Mongolpur, Baishhal and Soytanala areas falling under Ramkrishna Nagar Circle in Karimganj, at least 50 kms have been eroded.
Moreover, due to unabated erosion caused by river Kachua under Badarpur LAC, 500 metres of land at Ghuramara, one km in Laskarbazar and 700 metres in Lalarchak area have already been eroded.
Even the Gunti river under Badarpur Revenue Circle in Karimganj district has caused severe erosion in almost 2 km distance in Chowkirmukh, Sheki Kanishail and its adjoining areas over the years.
More importantly, even after hundreds of bighas of farm land, school, temple, government offices along with dwelling houses of people have been threatened due to unabated river bank erosion caused by the mighty Longai, Singla and their tributaries, namely Kakra, Kachua and Gunti during the past many years, the department concerned of the State Government has not taken any proper measure to check the problem on a permanent basis.
