KHULNA — Several hundred thousand people in Khulna’s Phultala, Dumuria and Arongghata areas have been trapped by waterlogging in Bil Dakatia for almost two months.
Repeated rainfall from August through October has caused severe waterlogging in Bil Dakatia. Residents are struggling with shortages of food and clean water, and many have come down with skin diseases and waterborne illnesses. Locals said there is no dry ground left even to bury the dead. The wetland stretches across Phultala, Dumuria and Arongghata in Khulna district and Abhaynagar and Keshabpur upazilas in Jashore district.
The area contains 30,000 acres of cultivable land. Heavy rain combined with poor drainage has left the fields submerged for nearly two months. Fish farmers have also been hit hard.
Silt deposits in the rivers and excessive rainfall are the main causes. Crops have been destroyed, livelihoods cut off and acute food shortages have emerged. The situation has grown so dire that Bil Dakatia has become a curse for the region. About 1.5 million waterlogged residents are demanding a permanent solution.
“The situation in Bil Dakatia has taken an even more frightening turn this year,” said Muhammad Al-Amin, the upazila executive officer (UNO) of Dumuria. “We have drafted a proposal to address the waterlogging. We are not rushing to a decision. We plan to take perhaps one to two weeks to gather opinions from water experts, environmental specialists and academics at various universities.”
Water Resources Secretary Nazmul Ahsan said the ministry is eager to find a quick solution. “Taking into account the views of local residents and the advice of experts, we are drawing up a new plan for a permanent solution,” he said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report