Villagers marooned, boro flooded as dyke collapses
Atraishuka village in Santhia upazila of Pabna district has been inundated following collapse of the dyke of a canal at the village on Sunday.Photo: STAR
Boro paddy on over 200 bighas of land has went under water as the dyke of a canal at Atraishuka village in Santhia upazila collapsed on Sunday. Water Development Board (WDB) sources said the dyke collapsed in the afternoon as some locals were digging holes in it (dyke) to take water from irrigation canal of IT-3 for their fish projects nearby. Several hundred villagers have been marooned and fish from at least 10 ponds washed away. Md Kobibur Rahman, executive engineer of WDB in Pabna, said some influential people are cultivating fish near the irrigation canals of IT-3 and S-19 illegally. They damaged the dyke by making holes in it, he added. “We have closed the sluice gate of the cannel to prevent water from entering the village,” the engineer said, adding that repair of the damaged dyke is going on. WDB formed an inquiry committee immediately after the incident on Sunday. The committee will investigate the matter and collect the names of the fish farmers responsible for collapse of the dyke, WDB sources said. After getting report from the committee, we will file a criminal case against the fish farmers, Executive Engineer Kabir said.
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