Regular flooding a woe for them

Over three thousand people of Togra and Umedpur villages beside the Kacha river in Indurkani upazila under Pirojpur are suffering as no permanent embankment was made to protect them from regular tidal waves after super cyclone Sidr destroyed an earthen embankment there on November 15 in 2007.

Since then, three-kilometre riverside areas of the villages are flooded during high tide in the rainy season and cause damage to the dwellings.

"Earlier I had to shift my house three times. Lastly tidal surge during the super cyclone Amphan on May 20 badly damaged my house. I had to spend a lot to shift and repair the house," said 70-year-old Abul Khayer from Togra village.

Another man of the village, 75-year-old Siddikur Rahman said he had to shift his house five times on different occasions.

"But now I don't have any land to shift although the river is very close to my house. Most of my landed property including cultivable land has gone into the river," he said.

Housewife Saleha Begum of the village said they cannot cook timely as water enters inside the ovens when the village floods.

"We drink tube-well water but we have to use water from ponds for other purposes. But the water is not safe. And so, many people, especially children and elderly people, suffer from different waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery. We have to spend extra money for treatment of the family members," said Rupa, another housewife of the village.

Over one thousand students of the villages have to face untold sufferings to attend their schools and colleges due to the frequent flooding.

"During high tide our village is flooded daily for four months from May every year.  So, we cannot move from one place to another normally," said Saidur Rahman, a resident of Togra village.

"Even, we cannot arrange funeral prayer for the deceased people and bury them in our village as the area remains flooded," he said.

Shahjahan Howlader, a school teacher of the village, said a small earthen embankment was made near Togra ferry terminal last year but it has been washed away by tidal surges caused by super cyclone Amphan.

"Only a strong and permanent embankment beside the Kacha river can save us from the suffering. We have asked the local public representatives again and again to solve the problem but they never come to our village," he said. 

Contacted, Dipak Ranjan Das, executive engineer of Water Development Board in Pirojpur, said they have sent a proposal to the higher authorities to make a strong and permanent embankment at Togra and Umedpur villages under Indurkani upazila and waiting for its approval to begin the work.