Atai river in Jashore: 3 villages inundated as dam breaks

The dam on Atai river in Abhaynagar upazila of Jashore broke on Thursday,  inundating three villages under Siddhipasha union.

Since then, hundreds of families in Shantipur, Chandrapur and Ramnagar villages have been going through immense sufferings.

The villagers urged the authorities concerned to repair the broken dam quickly, and demanded a permanent solution to the issue.

The river's water started entering through Rishipara section of the dam in Shantipur village after a 300-metre stretch of the embankment collapsed early on July 26 due to rise in tidal water, said locals.

Soon, areas across Shantipur, Chandrapur and Ramnagar villages became waterlogged, causing sufferings to the residents, said Akbar Khan, a local union parishad member. The upazila administration has been informed in this regard, he added.

"Around 2,000 people in the three villages have been affected while numerous houses, animal sheds, fish enclosures and rural roads across the area have been waterlogged for the last three days," said A Kamal Hasan, chairman of Siddhipasha Union Parishad and a resident of Chandrapur village.

Contacted, KM Abu Nawshad, UNO of Abhaynagar upazila, said the officials concerned of Bangladesh Water Development Board have been informed about the collapsed dam.

"BWDB officials gave assurance of repairing the collapsed dam within a week. Meanwhile, upazila administration has taken some steps to repair the damaged roads," he added.