Sandwiched between an International Border and the hungry waves of the Brahmaputra River, thousands of people living along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam’s Dhubri district are living on the edge, literally.
These people have lost subsequent amount of their land due to the massive erosion of the Brahmaputra, eroding their houses, paddy fields and everything they possess.
“The river has been very rude towards us for last ten years. We have already lost at least three revenue villages in Binnachera area in last few years. Only last monsoon, the river had eaten up 500 houses and large amounts of paddy fields,” said 70-year-old Sattar Ali, a resident of Binnachera, located only 20 kms from Dhubri, the last town located along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Western Assam.
“We have the fencing of the Indo-Bangladesh border in one side and the Brahmaputra on the other. When we were young, the river was several km away from here. The river was very friendly towards the people then, it flooded the paddy fields annually filling them with vital nutrients and people used to get fish in abundance,” added Ali
“We are just on the International Border. We cannot go beyond the border. Due to the erosion, we are losing not only our lives but our livelihood also,” he said, adding that although they have been urging the Government for efforts to stop erosion, their problems are still unheard.
It may be mentioned here that thousands of villagers who live in Indo-Bangladesh border have been living there without the basic amenities for ages. As the land on this side of the border is shrinking due to erosion, most of the people live by cultivating rice, wheat, maize, mustard and other grains on the ‘no man’s land’ between the two countries.
There are gates at certain location on the fencing. The BSF, who guards the Indo-Bangla border, opens the gates three times a day — between 7 am to 8 am, 11 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 5 pm — and the farmers who cross over the fencing to their paddy fields are supposed to return before 5 pm when the gate closes for the day.
“I have eight bighas of land on the no man’s land. I cultivate rice and maize. It is difficult here as we have to strictly follow the rules set up by the BSF. I am a free Indian but I cannot go to my paddy field at my will,” said Sariful Islam while talking to this correspondent from other side of the fencing during his lunch break.
“There are many problems here. There is no road except the one along the fencing. The BSF often prevents us from using the road after dusk. Even if there is a medical emergency, we cannot go out at night. We have been urging the local MlA for a long time to construct a road for civilians but nothing has been done,” Islam, another resident of Binnachera said.