Recurring 'manmade' flood

The inoperative sluice gate at Jatrabari in Kalmakandha upazila has made the flood water stagnant. PHOTO: STAR

IRRI-Boro crops on at least 50,000 hectares of land are damaged by floods every year as flood water entering the areas by overflowing a damaged embankment of Gomai river remain stagnant because of the sluice gate, local people told this correspondent during as recent visit.

The flooded areas include Nania Beel, Mada Beel, Monduil Beel, Jangia Beel and Gora Duba haor in Kalmakanda upazila; Rakha Beel, Maricha Beel, Togar haor, Ganda Duba and Machki in Darmapasha and Tolar haor, Shanir haor in Khaliajuri upazila.

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The sluice gate was built by the Water Development Board in 2000 at cost of Tk 33 lakh to protect the areas from flooding. But it has become a bane instead of being a boon for the people, they said.

The local people said they lodged several complaints to authorities to reconstruct damaged portions of the embankment to control the flooding.

Almost every year, the WDB does some reconstruction work involving Tk four to five lakh, only to be damaged by flooding, making scope for contractors to misappropriate money, they claimed.

Netrakona WDB officials have a ready answer o this. Every year during the wet season, local people cut the embankment at different places making the reconstruction work useless, they say. When contacted, Netrakona WDB Executive Engineer Abdul Baten told this correspondent that he talked to higher authorities for construction of a permanent embankment to check the flooding.

Local leaders of different political parties and farmers also staged demonstrations on several occasions to stop the flooding, but to no effect.