Fate of Aila victims unchanged

Water from Kholepetua River streaming in through the breached portion of the embankment at Harishkhali in Pratappur union under Assassuni upazila of Satkhira district.Photo: STAR

Flood situation in eight Aila affected villages in Pratapnagar union under Assassuni upazila has deteriorated further as water continued to enter through the breaches of the embankment.
Water Development Board (WDB) authorities failed to repair about 200 feet of the dike that was devoured by the river.
Now fresh water from the Kholpetua River is flooding new areas during high tide.
Vast areas in the Aila affected villages in the union were flooded following collapse of embankment at Harishkhali point of the river due to violent tide on April 15.
The affected villages are Kurikaunia, Pratapnagar, Kalyanpur, Harishkhali, Moderbaria, Rayerbeel, Gar Komorpur and Banyatala.
Over 6,000 people of more than 125 families were marooned forcing most of the victims to take shelter on high lands.
At least 356 shrimp enclosures in the area have been inundated and shrimp and other fishes worth Tk 20 lakh washed away, sources said.
Scarcity of safe drinking water is also prevailing there as almost all the tubewells have gone under knee-deep floodwater, Pratapnagar union parishad (UP) Chairman Abdul Mannan said.
He said the situation is deteriorating as no action has yet been taken to repair the embankment.
An official of Satkhira Water Development Board (WDB) said they tried to repair the breaches of the embankment but failed due to heavy current in the river.
Assassuni upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Gias Uddin said the situation worsened as efforts of the locals to repair the collapsed embankment also ended in failure.