Khulna Correspondent:
Due to recent floods and heavy rains, waterlogging has occurred in 10 unions of Dumuria in Khulna district, Tala in Satkhira district and Keshabpur upazila in Jessore district. 15 thousand crops and fish were destroyed. 2 lakh 50 thousand people are deprived of water. Many people are living squatting on the Chuknagar-Jesore road.
Locals say that the situation is becoming inhumane day by day due to accumulation of silt in the river, heavy rains in September-October and lack of drainage facilities. As a result, demands for relief and rehabilitation of Khulna, Satkhira, Jessore waterlogging have been raised.
On Wednesday (October 23) at 11:30 a.m., the local water committee and the affected public held a press conference in Khulna Press Club’s Humayun Kabir Balu Auditorium.
The press conference was organized by the joint initiative of Water Committee, Atlia and Maguraghona Union Parishad, non-governmental organization Uttaran, local political parties and people. Dumuria Upazila Branch BNP Member Secretary Sardar Abdul Malek read the written statement in the press conference and Khulna Press Club Interim Committee President Md. Enamul Haque was the chief guest.
In a written statement at the press conference, it was said that due to recent floods and heavy rains, Dumuria of Khulna district, Tala of Satkhira district and Narnia sluice gate area of ​​polder no. The bill area is flooded. The size of this area is about 15 thousand hectares and the population living in the area is about 250 thousand. A total of 10 unions of 3 upazilas including Atlia and Maguraghona unions of Dumuria upazila, Tala, Tentulia, Kumira, Islamkati and Khalilnagar of Tala upazila of Satkhira and Vidyanandakati, Hasanpur and Majidpur unions of Jessore Keshabpur upazila are affected by waterlogging and flooding. Over the past few years, the Aparbhadra, Buribhadra and Harihar rivers have become higher than the bill due to the abnormal rate of sedimentation. Along with this, due to heavy rainfall in September-October of this year, the overall situation of the area has seriously deteriorated. At present there is no opportunity to drain water through Aparabhadra river. In this situation, people’s houses, residential areas, roads have been flooded due to the increased water pressure and created an unbearable situation, all the fish farms, Aman paddy and vegetable fields have been swept away. Many helpless families have been forced to leave their homes and take shelter in different places. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases and snake infestation have increased in the area. There is severe food shortage and lack of employment. Poor people especially women, children, elderly and disabled people are suffering from food shortage.
At present water from Nornia catchment area of ​​polder no. 24 enters Culbaria bill of polder 16 and 17/2 through 7 alternate routes. Out of the 4 sluice gates connected to the Kulbaria Bill, only the Kulbaria sluice gate is discharging into the Ghangrail river. The remaining 3 sluice gates, Nikarimari 1 vent, Golapdaha-Changmari 1 vent and Golapdaha 2 vents are closed respectively. These 3 sluice gates are connected to Taltala/Amtala river. Taltala River has been mined for the past 3 years, currently the water drainage route has been blocked by damming both mouths of the river. The Changmari-Golapadha and Golapadaha sluice gates have no sluice gates and the connection has been closed due to river excavation at the mouth of the canal outside Nikarimari and Golapadaha-Changmari sluice gates. As the upper part of Shalta river is filled with silt, water cannot be drained through Charibhanga and Hulo gates of Polder No. 16. In this situation, it has become necessary to fix the sluice gates of Kulbaria, install new sluice gates at Changmari and Golapdaha, repair Charibhanga and Hulo gates of Polder No. 16 and remove the blockage of Taltali river. If not, the village area of ​​Atlia and Maguraghona Union around the Kulbaria bill will be flooded due to the water pressure and all the houses around the bill will be washed away. In this situation, removal of river excavated soil on the canal outside Taltali river dam and sluice gate. Installation of new sluice gates at Kulbaria, Changmari and Golapdaha and renovation of Hulo gate and Charibhangar gate belonging to polder No. 16. Excavation and removal of other obstructions in rivers and drainage canals wherever possible with excavator machines. Installation of sufficient number of pump machines for Narnia sluice gate area and more number of excavator machines in Aparbhadra river, providing urgent relief assistance to the needy people, arranging rehabilitation of houses, agriculture and roads. Excavation of flooded rivers and implementation of TRM for permanent solution. In the press conference, the administration, union council, political parties and people have been demanded to be integrated in all activities.
Among others present were Secretary of Water Committee Hashem Ali Fakir, Ameel Maulana Muktar Hossain of Dumuria Upazila branch of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Sheikh Helal Uddin Chairman of No. 5 Atlia Union Parishad, UP member Abdus Salam Mahaldar, Molla Mosharraf Hossain Mofiz, KM Ashraful Alam Nannu, Shahadat Hossain, Dr. Abdul Mannan, Sheikh Moslem Uddin, Abdul Mannan Goldar, Mahabub Member, Monirul Member, Alauddin Malik, Monirul Mali, Md. Mehdi Hachan Sabbir etc.
