Erosion by the River Padma devoured around 150 homesteads and over 1000 bighas of cropland under Sujanagar and Ishwardi upazilas in the last one week. A large number of erosion-hit people have taken shelter on roads and high land, said an official of Water Development Board (WDB) in the district. The river eroded at least 100 houses and 600 bighas of farmland in Khapur Char, Charsada and Degree Char villages of Sujanagar upazila, said Md Moshiur Rahman, chairman of Nazirganj union parishad. The union office, Nazirganj Bazar, Goaria Bazar, Nazirganj School and other establishment are facing erosion threat, he said. Despite repeated pleas, the authorities are yet to take any steps to protect the erosion, he alliged. Meanwhile, more than 40 homesteads and 500 bighas of cropland at Arambaria and Majhdia villages in Ishwardi upazila went into the river during the period, said Jarjis Hossain, chairman of Sara union parishad. Tk 1 lakh was allocated by the upazila administration, which was too small an amount to thwart the erosion, he said. However, a number of sand bags have been dumped at different erosion points to check the erosion, said the chairman. The points include Arambaria school, Boropara mosque and Majdhia graveyard, he said.