Dwellers around Shikalbaha canal lurk in risk
Some 10,000 dwellers of Dwipkalar Morol village in the port city's Patiya upazila are living in high risk from Shikalbaha, a stream-turned-canal.
“The canal is expanding day by day through erosion, causing damage to our lands and houses, making us homeless” said Ilias Miah, a local veteran of the village under Shikalbaha union.
The canal was initially a little stream connecting to river Karnaphuli and it was only 20 yards wide even 20 years back, he said adding that, it has now become a big canal and will soon turn into a tributary of Karnaphuli through the every day erosion.
“Collapsing walls of houses is a common scenario in the village,” said another local Raihan Uddin. More houses are damaged during the rainy season, he said.
Recently, the building of Shikalbaha Kalarpool Senior Madrasa was swept under water due to the canal's erosion, he added.
Abul Kalam Bakul, chairman of Shikalbaha Union Parishad, said the river training works were not done for many years since the last work in 1997.
The canal embankments have to be loaded with stones and sand bags to prevent them from erosion, he said.
“We have requested the ministry many times for taking necessary steps to avert the erosion but so far no initiative was taken by them,” he added.
Contacted, Patiya upazila Chairman Idris Miah said funds were not availed for river-training despite repeated request to the ministry from the upazila administration.
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