Sluice gates in Khulna losing utility
Most of the sluice gates in the district are heading towards virtual dysfunction due to deposition of huge silt in the rivers and canals, and natural disasters.
The situation, worsened by decline in the water flow in absence of excavation and proper management of the water bodies, poses threat of permanent water logging in the region.
Due to fund constraints, only a few of the rivers and canals are being dredged and maintenance work of the sluice gates is badly hampered, said sources of Water Development Board in Khulna.
There are 350 sluice gates in different upazilas of Khulna district, including a few ones near the city protection embankments, they said.
But a good number of the sluice gates have already caved in.
Talking to this correspondent, several people of Batiaghata upazila in Khulna district stressed the need of immediate steps for excavating the silted up rivers and canals in the district to restore their normal flow and keep the sluice gates functional.
Otherwise, the region may see permanent water-logging in the future, said one Makbul Hossain.
Pijush Krisna Kundu, executive engineer of Water Development Board-2, said huge money is needed to protect the sluice gates along with dredging of the rivers and canals but the government allocation for the purpose is only one tenth of the requirement.
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