Dyke collapse: 14 Aila-hit Satkhira villages submerged

Fourteen villages in Aila-hit Padmapukur union of Shyamnagar upazila under Satkhira district went under water following collapse of this embankment on Friday night. Locals held faulty repair by Water Development Board responsible for the disaster.Photo: STAR

At least 14 villages of Aila affected Padmapukur union under Shyamnagar upazila were inundated again on Friday night as water entered the areas following collapse of a faulty reconstructed embankment at two points on the Kobadak River.
The 80 feet embankment from Khutikata and Padmapukur points devoured into the river inundating again the villages of Garkomorpur, Kedarbathan, Padmapukur, North Pakhimara, South Pakhimara, Chandipur, Baintala, Khutikata, Kamalkati, Jhhapa, East Patakhali, West Patakhali, Sonakhali, Chandipur in the union. Villagers tried to reconstruct the embankment on self-help basis but failed to do so due to heavy pressure of water.
Contacted, Amjadul Islam, chairman of Padmapukur union parishad (UP) said, local people reconstructed the ring embankment after the Aila under food for works programme (FWP). He further said the Water Development Board (WDB) authorities repaired major breaches measuring six and a half kilometre on the embankment in Padmapukur union at a cost of Tk 2 crore 10 lakh. He alleged, the embankment breached again on Friday due to its faulty reconstruction by the concerned contractor resulting in inundation of the 14 villages. The section officer of WDB- 2 division, Abul Hossain also confirmed the same.
Over 25,000 people of the villages have been marooned and panic stricken people have taken shelter on high lands.
Earlier, the Aila affected villagers took shelter on the embankment since the devastating cyclone hit the area on May 25 last year. Following recession of water about a month ago, several villagers returned to their homesteads. But due to fresh inundation of the area after collapse of the embankment the villagers have become marooned and homeless again.