Titash Chakraborthey
Several villages in Koira upazila adjacent to the Sundarbans have been flooded. This is the direct result of the breach of dams protecting the villages against high tide. The houses are submerged in water. Many helpless people have taken shelter in the embankment. Added to this misery is the water crisis.
Basudeb Das is a resident of Gantirgheri area of Uttar Bedkashi union of Koyra upazila of Khulna. Last Wednesday, the dam of Shakbaria river broke due to the water pressure of the cyclone ‘Yaas’. Everything is submerged in water at the moment.
After the water receded at low tide on Thursday, Basudev Das built a hut on the embankment in the Hariharpur launch ghat area in a boat with household items and goods.
A few more families like Basudeb have taken shelter on the dam. Among the indescribable misery are about 70 families of Padmapukur village and people of at least 26 villages of the upazila. There is no food in the house, no place to sleep, no shortage of drinking water. People have taken shelter with their families in ponds, roads and other high places.
There is no end to the misery of the people of Maharajpur and Bagali Unions of the upazila. There are regular tides in 20 villages of this upazila. Half-built houses have collapsed.
Drinking water crisis has surfaced as the ponds and tube wells, the source of drinking water, have been submerged in brackish water.
Meanwhile, due to the effect of salt water, fish and other animals in the pond have died and bad smell has been created. There is a risk of stomach ache, diarrhea and other diseases.
Maharajpur Union has suffered the most from the impact of Yaas. The villages of Loka, Kalna, Megharite, Shimlarite, Khejurdanga, Atra, Gobindpur, Dashhalia, Jaipur and Deyara are being inundated by the erosion of Kopotaksha river in Dashhalia area on the west side of the union. Besides, the situation is similar in Bayalharania, Shrifaltala, Kalapeta, Bagali, Ghugrokati, Dakshin Ghugrokati, Bamia, Islampur, Hogla and Sheora villages of North Madinabad part of Koyra Sadar Union and Bagali Union.
Thirty families have taken shelter around Khejurbunia Pukurpar as they could not find a place to stay in the shelter. Most of them have somehow made makeshift stay place out of polythene. Alamgir Hossain is one of them. He said that on the first day, waist-deep water rose in the house.
There is also knee water at low tide. The next day the house collapsed. After that he went to the shelter and could not find any place there, so he took shelter in the pond.
Sattar Par, chairman of Bagali Union, said that no one had suffered in such a time. Three-quarters of the entire union is submerged.
Koira Upazila Nirbahi Officer Animesh Biswas said the concerned union chairmen have been allotted 2.5 tonnes of rice to help the affected people. In addition, cash has been provided for the purchase and distribution of dry food. Relief has already been distributed to various shelters. He also said that a mobile water treatment plant is providing drinking water to different areas.
