20,000 marooned in Satkhira

An inundated homestead in North Durgabati village in Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira district. PHOTO: STAR

Crisis of drinking water is prevailing in the areas, raising apprehension of outbreak of intestinal diseases.

Over 700 families have taken refuge at a flood shelter at Durgabati as their houses collapsed. Scores more have taken shelter on high lands and embankments. Any government help is yet to reach the flood victims, they said.

Newly transplanted Aman seedlings on 900 acres have been damaged and shrimps worth over Tk two crore washed away as flood water overflowed 600 farms.

More areas are being flooded as water is gushing through the breach, local people and officials said.

Local people are trying to repair collapsed embankment on self-help basis but their efforts turned futile due to strong current of gushing water. The embankment was reconstructed at Durgabati last year.

The worst affected villages are North Durgabati, East Durgabati, South Durgabati, West Durgabati, Bhania, Porakatla, Arpngashia, Burogoalini and Tungipara.

Talking to this correspondent, Gobinda Raptan, Jabbar Gazi, Asim Mondal and others of Durgabati village said when cracks developed at some points of the embankment at Durgabati the local Water Development Board (WDB) did not take any timely step to repair those.

Burigoalini Union Parishad Chairman Asim Joarder said, at least 30 feet area of the embankment has collapsed and the breach is widening. All the 19 villages in the union will be flooded in 2-3 days if the water flow continues.

Shafiul Azam Lenin, chairman of nearby Gabura Union Parishad, said several cracks have developed in the Kobadak river embankment in Jelekhali and Kholshebunia areas in the union. Local people are trying to repair those, he said.

When contacted, WDB Executive Engineer in Satkhira Zulfikar Ali said, they have started work to repair the collapsed embankment at Durgabati.

The cracks at Jelekhali and Kholshebunia points can not be repaired due to lack of funds. He urged the local public representatives and people to help repair the cracks.