More than 300 villagers were left homeless after eight houses collapsed, and a mosque along with its adjoining graveyard, partially gave way due to erosion along the banks of the Ganga in Loharpur village, located in Samserganj police station area of Murshidabad on Sunday night.

Fearing further erosion, the villagers, in a desperate effort to safeguard their belongings, dismantled 50 houses and sought refuge at the local Uttar Chachanda Primary School.

From Sunday night, nearly 1,500 villagers at Loharpur village are spending sleepless nights, fearing the impending threat of becoming homeless.

According to local sources, the erosion along the banks started from Sunday evening and the swift current tore away the embankments swallowing the houses one after another causing them to collapse like a pack of cards within just half an hour.

Although officials from the district administration visited the site and met with affected villagers, they were unable to provide any assurances regarding rehabilitation.

“I watched helplessly as my house was swallowed by the river. There was nothing I could do but stand by and see my newly built home slowly submerge in the swift current. I rushed inside and grabbed whatever I could,” 40-year-old Latib Sheikh said.

Sheikh, a rickshaw van driver, is now staying with his wife and six children at a relative’s house in the neighbouring village of Chachond.

Locals held the irrigation department and district administration responsible for the collapse of their homes, accusing them of failing to carry out timely repairs on the vulnerable stretch. They also claimed that the threat of erosion had been looming since the river’s water level began rising alarmingly due to heavy rainfall in north Bengal recently.

“About a year ago, some protective work was done on the Ganga embankment, but it seemed too weak to withstand the river’s aggressive waves. Moreover, the concrete barrier had recently sustained new damage, which was never repaired,” said a villager who lost his house on Sunday evening.

Block development officer (BDO) of Samserganj, Sujit Chandra Lodh, and local MLA Amirul Islam, visited the erosion-affected area on Monday morning and distributed tarpaulins, dry food, rice, lentils, and vegetables to the displaced families.

“Farakka Barrage authorities have notified us that additional water has been released, causing the Ganga’s water level to rise above the danger mark. This unusual surge has triggered the erosion, and announcements have been made for families living near the river to make alternative arrangements. Assistance is being provided to those whose homes have been destroyed,” Lodh said.