Villagers join hands to rebuild breached dam in Satkhira
Villagers reconstructing the breached Kobadak embankment at Jelekhali in Shyamnagar upazila.Photo: STAR
Villagers have joined hands for reconstruction of a breached embankment at Jelekhali of Gabura union in Shyamnagar upazila following failure of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) authorities to do the work. Four villages of Lebubunia, Jelekhali, Porakatla and Gabura in the union were flooded following collapse of 100 yards of the embankment on the Kabodak due to heavy pressure of water following violent tide at night on November 26. Local people urged the BWDB authorities to reconstruct the embankment on emergency basis but the authorities did not pay heed to their demands on a plea of fund constraints, they alleged. As a result, sufferings of affected people increased manifold. Finally, local people organized a meeting with the Union Parishad (UP) leaders where they took a decision to reconstruct the embankment on self-help basis December 2. During a visit to the area on Friday, this correspondent saw that people of all strata of life starting from poor day labourers, farmers, students and teachers were cutting earth with spades in their hands. Jubilant people were working singing modern, folk and patriotic songs. 'As all efforts were failed, the villagers sat in a meeting in the first week of December and decided to do the job voluntarily', said Parimal Kumar Mondal, a villager at Jelekhali. 'In the meeting all the villagers were divided into several groups', said another villager named Azihar Rahman. Burigoalini UP chairman Asim Joarder said local villagers took a decision to reconstruct the embankment voluntarily to save the area from further flooding. 'They worked in groups alternately', he said. 'The work was completed on Friday', he said adding, 'None can change their fate if they do not help themselves'.
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