Soil erosion crisis in Pilibhit after floods; villagers denied compensation due to lack of land titles 


Flood-hit Pilibhit villages face land loss and displacement as rivers erode farmland.

Residents across more than two dozen villages in Pilibhit district are facing a dual crisis of landlessness and displacement as severe soil erosion from receding rivers continues to consume vast tracts of farmland and homesteads.

The devastation follows recent floods in the region, where the powerful currents of the Sharda and Devha rivers have not only swept away standing sugarcane crops but have also carved into the very land upon which villages stand.

A TOI report indicated that the problem is particularly acute in the tehsils of Puranpur, Kalinagar, Pilibhit Sadar, Bisalpur and Amaria.

In villages such as Khirkiya Bargadia, Hajara and Naokurh, homes now perch precariously close to the eroded riverbanks, forcing numerous families to evacuate.

Although the discharge level of the Sharda river has significantly dropped, its capacity for destruction remains undiminished.

A historical grievance compounds the current disaster for many. Numerous villagers who were resettled on forest land after the 1971 Indo-Pak war are reportedly being denied compensation for their losses because they lack valid land titles.

Vasudev Kundu, head of Chandia Hajara village, explained that families were rehabilitated after the war with 2.5 acres of farmland each but were “never given ownership documents”. This bureaucratic failure has rendered them ineligible for government aid. “This deprivation has left us without financial assistance for crop damage, even as floods repeatedly wipe out our land,” Kundu stated, as cited by TOI. He noted that villagers have lost 300 acres of land and standing sugarcane just in the past two years. The Devha had reportedly consumed over 20 acres of farmland within a single week.

The scale of the losses is extensive. In Hajara itself, several homes risk being washed away. In Rahul Nagar, 70 families have lost 175 acres to the Sharda’s floods. In Khirkiya Bargadia, approximately 22 marginal farmers were rendered landless after the river swallowed 80 acres of farmland.

Furthermore, over 70 families in Dhruv Colony are on the brink of displacement, with many already taking shelter in a nearby location known as Dakka Chat.

Administrative officials cited by TOI have stated that relief measures are underway. Puranpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ajit Pratap Singh said flood-control teams would lay sandbag crates along a 400-metre stretch of the riverbank to check further erosion.

Flood-control Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Sumit Sachan added that drone surveys had been conducted and that temporary relief work would begin within days.

The Devha river is equally destructive. In Naokurh village, four families were evacuated from homes at imminent risk.

Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Ritu Punia said that the administration is providing daily cooked meals to the displaced and will grant Rs 1.20 lakh to each person who loses a house under the norms of the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana.