Aila affected dam collapses again

25,000 people marooned, 15 villages inundated
At least 15 villages in Padmapukur, an Aila affected union under Shyamnagar upazila, were inundated again as water entered breaching a ring embankment at eight points on the river Kholpetua on Monday.
Over 25,000 people of the Padmapukur union were marooned and gripped by panic they were taking shelter on available high lands.
The embankment covering 150 to 200 feet from Khutikata to Padmapukur gave way into the river under heavy pressure of water from the tidal surge on Monday.
The affected villages are Garkomorpur, Kedarbathan, Padmapukur, Pakhimara, Chaulkhola, Baintala, Khutikata, Kamalkati, Jhhapa, Patakhali, Sonakhali, Chandipur and other villages in Padmapukur union.
As situation is worsening, the Aila affected people are now facing an immense trouble becoming homeless again.
Contacted, Chairman Amjadul Islam of Padmapukur union said local people reconstructed a ring embankment measuring six and a half kilometre from Khutikata to Padmapukur soon after the Aila under food-for-work programme.
But the vast area was again flooded following the collapse of the ring embankment, he said.
Ansar Ali Dhali, Abdur Rashid and Amal Krishna Mondal of village Kamalkati said they took shelter at Satkhira district headquarters soon after the Aila hit the areas on May 25 last year.
The villagers returned to their homes as the flood water receded ten days ago, they said.
But they are compelled to go back to Satkhira again as the areas are inundated, said the affected people.
Ruhina Mondal of village Chandipur, Sudhir Chandra Mondal of village Pakhimara and Subhas Chandra Mridha of village Khutikata also said they returned to their homes after ten months from Shyamnagar upazila headquarters with a hope to reside but all in vein.
“Within a week, we are homeless again. Probably we will not return to our villages again”, they lamented.
Executives engineer Shahbuddin Ahmed of the Water Development Board-2 division confirmed the incident and said they are trying to reconstruct the breached ring embankment.

Courtesy of The Daily Star