Another Cyclone Season On

Sidr-damaged embankment still remains unrepaired

20 April 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Patuakhali

The cyclone season has appeared again, but over 5 lakh people in seven upazilas under Patuakhali district are still vulnerable to flooding with saline water as 566 kilometres of flood control embankment damaged by Sidr on November 15 in 2007 are yet to be repaired. About 1.5 lakh hectares of agriculture land is also under risk due to the situation. Of the 644 km embankment in the district that was damaged during the Sidr, Water Development Board (WDB) repaired only 78 km embankment last year. “I had lost Aman paddy on three acres of land during the Sidr in November 2007. I also failed to cultivate crops on the land later. It was flooded by saline water from the adjacent river as the damaged flood control embankment is yet to be repaired,” said Nur Mohammad, a farmer of Charkhali village under Mirzaganj upazila in the district. “We do not want relief. We demand steps to repair embankment so that we can cultivate our land in the upcoming rainy season,” said another farmer Adbul Kader Howlader. “Many dwelling houses like that of mine were washed away during the Sidr as there was no flood control embankment in our char [island]. About 5,000 people in this char are still under risk as no flood control embankment has been built,” said Ali Hossain, an inhabitant of Char Lata under Galachipa upazila. Higher authorities allocated only Tk 7.25 crore while local authorities demanded Tk 110 crore for renovation of the damaged embankments. “Shortly after Sidr, we submitted a Tk 110 crore emergency proposed plan to the higher authorities concerned for repair of the damaged embankments,” said Patuakhali WDB Executive Engineer Md Jahir Uddin. “With the allocation we could repair only 78 km out of 644 km damaged embankment and two sluice gates in last year. Higher authorities have given assurance that a new project will start soon to repair the embankments,” he said. Before Sidr battered the southern region of the country on November 15 2007, there were 1,209-kilometre flood control embankments in seven upazilas of Patuakhali district, said sources at WDB office in Patuakhali. “The cyclone destroyed 83 km embankment while 562 kilometre embankment was partly damaged. Three hundred fifty-five sluice gates, 612 inlets, 362 irrigation schemes and 24 closures were also damaged in seven upazilas of the district. Aman paddy on 1.70 lakh hectares of land was damaged due to the Sidr,” they said.