Around 100 villagers were rendered homeless when 10 houses caved in following erosion along the banks of the Ganga at Natun Shibpur village in Samserganj, Murshidabad, on Monday morning.

Apprehending fresh erosion, the villagers dismantled 30 houses in a desperate attempt to save their properties and took shelter at a primary school building.

Local sources said strong waves caused the erosion that eventually engulfed the houses, which collapsed like a pack of cards within half an hour.

Officials of the district administration visited the area and met the victims, but failed to offer any assurances of rehabilitation.

Local sources claimed that the erosion began around 9am and the river engulfed 10
houses before the residents could shift their moveable valuable items.

“I was cooking when I heard a hue and cry outside. I rushed out only to find that the waves were crashing at the gates of my house. Within a few minutes, I helplessly witnessed my newly built house fall into the river. I could only shift around 20 per cent of my valuables,” said Lalita Mondal, 40.

Lalita’s husband works in Kerala as a migrant labourer and her son had stepped outside when the incident occurred.

Nine other families faced a similar fate.

Locals blamed the irrigation department and the district administration for not carrying out timely repair of the stretch that led to the collapse of their houses.

The residents also alleged that the threat of erosion loomed ever since the water level in the river began to increase alarmingly following rain over the last few days.

“Around a year ago some protective work was undertaken in the stretch of the Ganga embankment. But it appeared to be too weak to protect against the aggressive waves of the river. Moreover, the concrete barrier suffered some fresh damage recently and that was not repaired,” said a villager who also lost his house on Monday morning.

Samserganj block development officer Sujit Kumar Lodh said: “Ten houses have been washed away today. Around 30 more houses had to be dismantled to save valuables. Food, clothes and tarpaulins have been arranged in the affected areas. Some families have been accommodated in New Shivpur Primary School.”

Samserganj MLA Amirul Islam attributed the erosion to the breach in a 100-metre concrete barrier in the area.

“Two years ago a protective 100-metre concrete barrier was put up but it collapsed today and ate up the houses. I will take up the issue with the government,” he said.