KULPI, July 28: Although soil erosion is an acute problem in Malda and Murshidabad, the situation is not much different at Kulpi in South 24- Parganas. People living in the villages of Hara, Mukundapur, Harinarayanpur and Raytala are haunted by the fear of being deprived of shelter. Major parts of the territories have already been submerged under the river bed. A visit to the villages gives an impression of non-performance of the irrigation department and helplessness of the villagers. Where there were three hundred huts, there are only twenty or twenty five. Mr Swapan Halder, a villager had ten bighas of cultivable lands but now the paddy growing land is no where in sight. Many of his neighbours like him are now seeking their livelihood in fishing. Most of the villagers have migrated to safer places. Mr Bablu Mondal another villager alleged negligence by the irrigation department. "We wanted a dam to be constructed as a permanent safe guard to the danger. However, only boulders and sand bags were placed' he added. Every year the monsoons are a nightmarish time for the people as they live in constant anxiety. When contacted, the irrigation officials pointed out a different angle to the problem. Mr Ratnakar Pramanic, an engineer told The Statesman that the erosion stretched across a large tract from Diamond Harbour to Kulpi. They alerted the people who lived in the vicinity of the river about the impending danger three years ago. A red alert notice was put up but the villagers did not pay any heed to the warning. When the erosion took a severe turn the irrigation department put up a high wall and placed boulders. However, in many of the places the boulders were found missing. Government officials predict extreme poverty to be the reason behind the theft of the boulders. On the other hand, the villagers denied their involvement in the crime. They alleged that the crime was abetted by the village level political leaders.