Agartala, 15th June 2026: Several families residing along the banks of the Dhalai River near the Erarpar Bridge on National Highway 208 are facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to continuous riverbank erosion. With the onset of the monsoon season, renewed fear has gripped the area as the river continues to eat away at homes and agricultural land, leaving residents increasingly vulnerable and displaced.
Kamalpur Subdivision has become a focal point of concern as locals report that erosion has intensified year after year. According to residents, the situation worsened after the construction of National Highway 208, when the executing agency allegedly used unscientific methods by dumping soil on the riverbed to create a temporary embankment. This, they claim, disrupted the natural flow of the river.
Locals further allege that boulders previously installed for riverbank protection were also removed during the construction phase. As a result, during heavy rainfall, the temporary embankment collapsed, triggering strong currents that caused extensive damage to nearby homes and farmland.
The construction agency, reportedly NHIDCL, had assured affected families that a permanent river protection embankment would be built. However, residents say that despite repeated assurances, no substantial work has been carried out to date.
The issue has been raised multiple times with the then Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kamalpur and the District Magistrate of Dhalai. Locals also claim that even after on-site inspections by senior district officials, no effective or lasting intervention followed.
With rising water levels marking the beginning of the monsoon season, fear is once again spreading among riverbank communities. Many families report sleepless nights, anxious that sudden flooding could wash away their homes and livelihoods.
Residents are now demanding immediate and permanent construction of a protective embankment along the riverbank, urging the administration to move beyond assurances and take urgent action to safeguard lives and property.
