Khulna, Nov 13 (V7N)- 10 thousand people of Paikgacha Bakchar once weaved a web of dreams to escape from waterlogging. The demand was to dig the Kapotaksha river. In exchange for own land and houses, that pit has been dug. The dead Kopotaksh has returned to life to some extent. But that dream remained elusive. Rather, the agricultural people of that area are going to be calm in the unplanned excavation.
The victims complained that the canals beside the Kapotaksha were not dug and connected with the river causing permanent waterlogging. As there is no system to remove the water from the bill and fodder, the vegetables and crops of about seven hundred and fifty bighas of land have been destroyed due to untimely rains. Uncertainty has also appeared in paddy cultivation in the current Boro season.
However, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BAPAUBO) has promised to excavate and connect the canals with Kapotaksha as soon as possible.
Baka is an agricultural village in Paikgacha upazila of Khulna, adjacent to Satkhira district. There are more than 10,000 people living in this area. The people of the area have become helpless due to flooding. The amount of land here is seven hundred and fifty bighas. And the total amount of land affected by this suffering is one thousand four hundred bighas. The Water Development Board Jessore dredged the river at a cost of Tk 531 crore 7 lakh through the 'Kapotaksha River Dewatering Project (Phase 2) from July 2020. However, due to the connection of the river with Baka and the nearby bill during the excavation, permanent waterlogging is being created in these areas.
The resident of Baka village cultivates vegetables on the fence, the edge of the fence and the land in about 60 bigha land. Noor Islam Ghazi (45). Vegetables produced by this farmer accounted for most of the demand in Baka market. But due to sudden rain and waterlogging, Noor Islam is going to sit on the road. He said, "If there was a system to lower the water, we would not have to wear it in such a situation. At this time we had vegetables all around the perimeter. This time, farmers' vegetables and fish worth crores of rupees have been wasted here.
Mukul Khan (44), the owner of one acre of land, said, "At this time, all the enclosures and land were filled with gourds, pumpkins, barbati and beans." We had to give up a lot of land and houses during excavation. I thought I would escape from the flood. But now I'm sitting down to die.'
Housewife Romecha Begum (53) expressed her anger and said, 'What is the use of Gang Kite? Dying in that buir (drowning). If the canals were connected with the river, we would go left.'
Palash Kumar Banerjee, executive engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BAPAUBO) Jessore, said that quick steps will be taken to eliminate the waterlogging of Paikgachar. Initiatives have already been taken in this regard. If the canals are connected with each other, this problem will not exist anymore.
Comment: