A CORRESPONDENT
PALASBARI: The Brahmaputra River gobbled up the houses and habitations of over 1,000 families in the Kurihamari and Bhangonmari villages under Barkhetri LAC in the Nalbari district during the past month under the very nose of the State Government.
“Every week, over 100 families lose their homes and other property in the Brahmaputra due to formidable erosion. However, no officials from the Revenue, Water Resources, or other departments have visited the area to date to take stock of the situation and take appropriate measures to curb the unabated erosion,” alleged Kadam Ali (45), of Kurihamari village.
“Several important institutions, including the office of No. 55 Kurihamari Borcholiya Gaon Panchayat, Kurihamari-Siyalmari Anchalik High School, Siyalmari ME Madrassa, Borcholiya LP School, Montu Ali Chuba LP School, Koltuli LP School, etc., have been washed away during the past few days,” said Hafijur Rahman, president of No. 55 Kurihamari Borcholiya Gaon Panchayat. He added that more institutions and houses would be washed away in the next few days.
The gobbling river has also washed away several roads, disrupting surface communications in the villages and eroding hundreds of business establishments. The erosion has also damaged standing crops and hundreds of hectares of agricultural land.
“Panic has gripped the affected families as they have nowhere to shift their houses and that the State Government has failed to initiate measures to rescue and rehabilitate them and even failed to provide them with relief materials. Starvation-like situations have been arising in the area as nothing is there for the families to feed their children,” said Kadam Ali of Kurihamari village.
According to sources, during past two to three years, over 20 vital institutions, including Pachim Kuriahamari Rajiv Gandhi L P School, Laopara LP School, Madhya Kamrup ME Madrassa, Madhya Kamrup Higher Secondary School, Naobajchar ME Madrassa, Borbala LP School, Pub Bhangonmari LP School, Nisilarpar LP School, Milon ME School, Mohar Master Chuba LP School ( all government-aided schools), Bhangonmari Sar Police Station, Bhangonmari Sar CHC (Hospital), Kurihamari Mini PHC, Kalarchar Higher Secondary School, Information Bunglow (IB), Laopara Anganwadi Centres, famous Budhberia and Deoberia Bazars located in the Kurihamari and Bhangonmari villages under Barkhetry LAC had been washed away. However, the Government has done precious little to address the menace.
According to sources, the river has eroded almost all vital institutions in the Bhangonmari and Kurimaria areas under Barkhetry LAC during the past few years.
“The neglect of our villages by the Government will incur a huge loss to the agriculture economy of Assam,” said Saibar Ali (32) of Kurihamari village.
“The water current of the Brahmaputra has been putting a tremendous strain on our villages. It is high time Government machinery came forward to save us,” said Aminul Islam, a B. Sc. student of Kurihamari village.
There are allegations that Barkhetry MLA Diganta Barman has been turning a blind eye to the plight of the people and has not visited the affected area during the past few months. The public urged the Chief Minister to initiate urgent measures to protect the affected people of Kurihamari and Bhangonmari villages under Barkhetry LAC in the Nalbari district.
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