People of Baharbunia living in constant fear
People of Baharbunia, a remote union near the Panguchi and Keora rivers in Morrelgonj upazila of the district, are living in constant fear as there is no embankment in the area to protect them from tidal surges, storms and saline water.
Around 36,000 people live in Baharbunia, covering 38 square kilometers. At least 67 small and large canals have flown through the union.
Despite being a riverine area, there is no embankment in the union, causing immense sufferings to people, said residents of Baharbunia.
The water has risen further when the tide just began. As a result, the roads, markets and houses of the people in the union are submerged.
Despite repeated pleas, the authorities concerned are yet to take any steps to get rid of this long-standing problem, said locals.
A proposal has been sent to build an embankment to protect people of several unions, including Baharbunia, from the natural disasters, said Bagerhat Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Md Nahiduzzaman Khan.
Solaiman, a resident of Baharbunia, said they live in an isolated area. There are no concrete roads. There is no good educational institution. There are no modern market and medical facilities in the union.
If any embankment is not built to protect the area from natural disasters, most of the people will have to leave the union and migrate elsewhere, he said.
Shoheb, another resident, said Baharbunia is a remote area. There is no embankment in the union to protect them from tidal surge. Boats or trawlers are the only way to reach anywhere from the union. The roads of the union have been in a very bad state since long.
Habibur, a resident of the union, said their roads, schools, mosques and madrasas are submerged under tidal water for most of the time a year.
He further added that most of the people in the union make a living out of farming fish in river canals. But, tidal surge washed away the fish enclosures.
Chairman of Baharbunia Union Parishad (UP) Talukder Ripon Hossain said people of the area, especially critical patients, face immense difficulty during natural disasters like storms and tidal surges as there is no embankment in the union.
Trawlers and boats are the only means of communication for thousands of villagers to the upazila headquarters and district town, he said, adding that especially they face immense problem to take any critical patients to District Sadar Hospital.
They have been demanding construction of an embankment in the union for long but to no effect, said the UP chairman.
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