Tale of a neglected village
There's no electricity, drinking water and school. Don't be surprised if you think that this is a haunted place. It is a remote village in Shuvolong union of Rangamati's Barkal upazila.
Koiturkhil Marma Para, home to over 200 hill people, has been detached from development work since the country's independence, thanks to the negligence of the authorities concerned.
Over 50 families of Marma and Chakma communities of this village don't have proper medicare, education and other basic needs as they have been deprived of getting the government facilities for years, said locals.
The villagers mainly live on jhum cultivation and fruit gardening. No development work was done in the area since independence, said Monglha Ching Marma, a resident of the locality.
The village is submerged under water during monsoon. At that time, they have to face severe water crisis, he said.
A few years ago, a non-governmental organisation gave three ring-wells but they are now lying damaged. Due to damage of the ring wells, they use drinking water from nearby runnels and hill wells. As a result, the villagers suffer many water borne diseases, including diarrhoea. Field workers of upazila health office rarely visit the area, said the villagers.
Mongchu Prue Marma, karbari (village head), said over 100 primary students have to walk to Shuknachari Government Primary School in Jurachhari upazila, five km off Barkal upazila, every day as there is no primary school in the area.
The kids have to face more difficulties to go to the school in monsoon as the village is submerged during the time, he said, adding that even there is no electricity supply in this village.
Five years ago, the villagers gave a piece of land to set up a school beside the village. All the papers related to the school and the applications were submitted to the upazila education officer but they are yet to get any school here, said the village head.
They want all government facilities at their village and a primary school for their children as well, he said.
Third grader Shukla Chakma said every day she has to walk at least 4-5 km to go to the school. It's too hard for her, she said.
Tarun Jyoti Chakma, chairman of Shuvolong Union Parishad, said the village has been neglected for many years due to its remoteness.
“I have visited the village several times. I will try to allocate funds for the village from next year,” he said.
Barkal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sajia Parvin said they have informed the ministry concerned about the matter.
Comments