After four decades of water-stress, flooding has once again hit the sprawling township of about two million people in the Bhavadah region; Livelihood is endangered, snakes and frogs, insects, cows and goats are fighting for survival in submerged houses.
A human chain was organized in front of the National Press Club on Friday morning to draw the attention of the government to take action as soon as possible to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Bhabadah watershed area between at least seven upazilas of Jessore, Khulna and Satkhira.
A group of people from Jessore’s Abhaynagar upazila living in Dhaka participated in this human chain. Four unions of this upazila are victims of flooding.
A notification sent on behalf of the organizers said that the waterlogging has spread to Manirampur and Keshavpur in Jessore, Phultala and Dumuria in Khulna and Tala in Satkhira, including Abhaynagar. Millions of people there have suffered indescribably.
According to the notification, there is water around the flooded houses but no drinking water, no cooking space, energy crisis is at an extreme, more than 50 schools are closed, health care has collapsed; Crop fields are under water, fish cages are under water. No sewage system; Living with polluted water, many people have got sore hands and feet, children are suffering from various water borne diseases including diarrhea.
Dhaka-based businessman Zahidur Rahman Milon gave a short speech in the human chain.
He said that even in the thousands of crores of rupees project, there is no permanent solution to the flooding in Bhabadah. Every year a few people show up and the authorities go silent. Now is the time for urgent short term and long term government planning for permanent solution to waterlogging problem.
‘Bhavadah is the name of a panic, the name of an unsolved problem. Due to political reasons, so far the unresolved matter has not found a way to be resolved.
Md. among the organizers. Mehdi Mamun said that the people of this region are living a miserable life. Water in the house, water outside. The people of Bhavadah wetlands are spending their days in uncertainty.
He said that water-logged people are spending their days with difficulty by making temporary houses and sheds on the road. In this situation, there is no option but to implement the ‘TRM’ project and a permanent solution to the water problem along with removing the water soon.
Mohammad Murad Hossain, another Dhaka resident of Bhavadah Jalabadh Upazila Abhaynagar, said that the indescribable pain and suffering of the victims of this region has reached extreme levels. In this regard, various projects are taken every year but the solution is not as expected.
The speakers demanded the Advisory Council including the Chief Adviser to take quick steps for a permanent solution to the Bhabadah waterlogging.
Faraji Bulbul Reza, Ashraf-ul Alam Palash, Imran Ghazi, Swaib Imtiaz Yad, Mohammad Tanzil, Dibakar Biswas, Moniruzzaman Kabir, Aminul Islam, Mohammad Idris Ali, Islam Faraji, M Tanveer Ahmed, Md. Shamsul Alam Rumen, Shafi Mahmud, Md. Monirul Islam, Muslima Khatun participated.
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