Dyke Collapses in Kalapara of Patuakhali
Saline water floods aman seedbeds in 10 villages
Saline water, entering through the damaged portion of a dyke, floods aman seedlings in Lalua area of Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali.Photo: STAR
Aman seedbeds on over 2,000 hectares of land at 10 villages under Kalapara upazila got damaged due to saline water that entered the village following collapse of a flood control embankment on Wednesday last. A tidal surge under the impact of full moon damaged over 500 feet of the dyke at Itbaria point in Lalua union of the upazila on the day. Water entered through the damaged portion of the dyke, flooding the villages of the upazila. The affected villages are Chandupara, Chowdhurypara, Monjupara, Munshipara, Charipara, Boro Panchnumber, Hasnapara, Nasnapara, Dhunjupara and Nowapara. Though the flood water has started to recede, the villages are still under 2 to 3 feet water, affecting at least 20,000 people. The villagers said aman cultivation in the areas may be delayed as saline water damaged their seedbeds. Fishes worth over Tk 50 lakh were lost during the tidal surge, they added. About 100 families have taken shelter on the flood control dyke as their houses have been inundated. On Saturday, a portion of the embankment with a sluice gate subsided at Itbania point. Musa Gazi, a farmer of Monjupara village told this correspondent that he prepared seedbeds for planting aman on 25 acres of land. “My seedbeds got damaged and are still under water,” he said. Solaiman Howlader of the same village said he cultivated fish in his ponds, taking Tk 30,000 in loan from a local NGO. “I have to incur a huge loss as fishes worth Tk one lakh have been washed away by the tidal surge,” he added. Lalua Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Md Rezaul Karim said the embankment was also damaged by tidal surge during cyclonic storms Sidr and Aila, but repair job had not been done properly. “I have urged the upazila administration to immediate steps to repair the damaged portion of the embankment,” the UP chairman said.
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