Six villages were inundated in Sadar upazila as the river protection embankment along the Bhairab River collapsed at three points early Wednesday, leaving 1,000 people marooned.
Locals said the embankment broke down at Majhidanga, Dingsaipara and Bishnupur points in the early hours.
The water of the river which swelled following ebb tide entered Majhidanga, Koramara, Kukoramar, Dingsaipara, Bishnupur and Polghat villages, initially affecting around 5,000 people of 2,000 families.
The floodwater also washed away fish from many enclosures and submerged crops on vast tracts of land.
However, water receded from a number of places in the afternoon with the low tide.
Around 3,000 people from 1,000 families in the six villages remained marooned till filing of this report around 8pm.
People were seen wading through knee-deep water in the affected villages while locals were trying to fix the broken parts of the embankment with bamboos and soil, witnesses said.
Kalapara union parishad Chairman Sheikh Basirul Islam alleged that the embankment had long been in a risky condition. “Every year, it breaks down flooding villages. Locals fix it with the found raised by them and sanctioned from the union parishad.”
He also said although the Water Development Board and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) had been informed about the matter, no step was taken to this end.
Bagerhat WDB Executive Engineer SM Refat Jamil said higher authorities were informed about the matter. “Work to repair the dyke will begin after getting their permission.”
MP from Bagerhat-2 constituency Mir Showkat Ali Badsha demanded that the government take a special project to repair the embankment.
source:UNB
