Waterlogging in Jessore's Bhabadah again, leaving 25 villages submerged

Thousands of families in the Bhabadah of Jessore are once again suffering from waterlogging, with 25 villages now submerged, leaving people trapped in floodwaters and leading lives of extreme hardship. Despite the severity of the situation, no government aid has yet been provided. On the contrary, affected residents have been forced to sell their livestock at low prices to cope with the crisis.

It has been reported that in 1968, a sluice gate with 21, 9, 6, and 2 vents was constructed in Bhabadah, Kalishakul village, Payra Union, in the Abhaynagar Upazila of Jessore to drain water from the areas of Abhaynagar, Monirampur, Keshabpur in Jessore, and Phultala and Dumuria in Khulna district. However, due to the declining navigability of the Teka, Poshur, and Srihori rivers, permanent waterlogging began in the area in 1985. Despite several initiatives from different governments to resolve the issue, no permanent solution has been found. As a result, continuous rainfall leads to recurring waterlogging in the Bhabadah region.

Following heavy rains in the past few days, waterlogging has now affected the Sundoli, Chalishia, and Payra unions of the Abhaynagar upazila, trapping residents of 25 villages. Hundreds of fish enclosures have been submerged, and more than 50 hectares of crops and vegetable fields are underwater.
A visit to these three unions on Monday (September 9) found that water has accumulated waist-deep in the yards of homes, with people confined indoors. Livestock and humans are living together under these conditions.

Bikash Roy Kapil, chairman of Sundoli Union Parishad, said that heavy rains and rising river water have caused the villages adjacent to the wetlands in his union to suffer from waterlogging. Hundreds of fish enclosures have been washed away, and around 125 hectares of crops and vegetable fields have been submerged. No officials from the Disaster Ministry have come to assess the damage or provide relief.

Since the chairman of Payra Union Parishad, Hafizur Rahman, is in hiding, former chairman’s son, Rafiqul Islam Sardar, said that hundreds of families are living in dire conditions, trapped by the floodwaters. It is still impossible to assess the full extent of the damage to crop fields and fish enclosures. Immediate relief is urgently needed.

Victims, including fish enclosure owners like Probir Kumar Roy, Sohag Biswas, Aminur Rahman Bagha, Akhtaruzzaman, and Jalal Molya, said that thousands of acres of their fish enclosures had been washed away due to heavy rainfall and upstream water.

In response, Abhaynagar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Aminul Haque said that in the three unions of Abhaynagar, 320 fish enclosures spread over 120 hectares have been washed away, with the estimated financial loss amounting to around Tk 5 crore.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Lovely Khatun stated that 590 hectares of transplanted Aman paddy fields and 35 hectares of vegetable fields have been submerged. The issue has been reported to higher authorities.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Jaydeb Chakraborty said, "I have recently joined. After visiting the affected areas, necessary actions will be taken."

On a positive note, Jessore Water Development Board Executive Engineer Palash Kumar Banerjee shared some good news.

He told the media that four water pumps are currently operational at the Bhabadah sluice gate to alleviate the waterlogging. Additionally, a project worth Tk 47.65 crore is in progress, and once implemented, it is expected to resolve the waterlogging issue.