Dyke collapse floods 16 Satkhira villages
Over 2,000 families marooned; paddy fields go under water; 500 shrimp enclosures washed away
The untimely deluge following Sunday night's embankment collapse on the Kholpatua River in Shyamnagar upazila under the district affected at least 16 villages.
Over 2,000 families have been marooned and hundreds of acres of paddy field and around five hundred shrimp enclosures washed away, said local public representatives.
Several families have taken shelter in other villages as their houses went under water.
"Twelve villages in Athulia union were flooded due to the embankment collapse. At least 200 shrimp enclosures were also washed away. If the repair work is not done in two to three days, the floodwater is likely to reach Kaliganj upazila," said Abdul Hamid, chairman of Athulia Union Parishad (UP) in Shyamnagar.
Four villages in Burogoalini union under the same upazila have been flooded, said Nazrul Islam, local UP chairman.
Nikhil Datta, Water Development Board (WDB) officer in Shyamnagar upazila, said the work for repairing the embankment started on Monday morning.
The chairmen of Athulia and Burogoalini UPs have engaged one thousand people and WDB supplied one thousand bamboos, one thousand sacks and a hundred kg of peg for the purpose.
But the work is being hampered due to strong current, he added.