Kurigram residents demands Dharla embankment

Hundreds of residents from erosion-hit areas in Phulbari upazila of Kurigram formed a human chain on Sunday demanding immediate construction of a permanent embankment along the Dharla River.

Residents of Char Mekhli in Ward No. 1 of Baravita Union organised the programme in collaboration with Activista Kurigram at around noon.

People from different walks of life took part in the human chain and urged the government to take urgent measures to stop the river erosion.

The participants said the Dharla has already washed away homes, agricultural lands and hundreds of bighas of land in the area. Several educational institutions and mosques were also affected.

They said new areas are being eroded every year, putting hundreds of families at risk of losing their remaining homes and property.

The residents alleged that permanent embankments were constructed in several other areas along the Dharla River, including parts of neighbouring Lalmonirhat district and three upazilas of Kurigram, but Char Mekhli has remained deprived of such protection for years.

Seema Khatun, a representative of Activista Kurigram, said Char Mekhli was a neglected area and that a permanent embankment should be constructed there without delay to protect residents from river erosion.

Ilias Ali, a member of Ward No. 1 of the union parishad, said hundreds of bighas of land in his ward were being washed away by the river.

“Although we have contacted various government departments and organised several human chains over the issue, no effective initiative has been taken so far,” he said.

He urged the administration and the government to intervene immediately to address the suffering of the residents of Char Mekhli.

Speakers at the programme demanded immediate construction of a permanent embankment and effective measures to protect the homes and agricultural lands of erosion-affected people.