Flood victims in Satkhira hold procession, rally

The flood affected people yesterday brought out a procession and held a rally in the town demanding adequate relief materials for the victims and steps to remove the stagnant water from the area.
They also protested proposed construction of sluice gate at Padmashakhra point in Sadar upazila on the river Ichhamati saying it would not help drain out the floodwater.
Satkhira Nagorik Committee, a local civil society body organised the programme to press home their demands.
The procession was brought out from in front of Satkhira Press Club in the morning.
Parading the main thoroughfares of the town, the processionists held a rally in front of Satkhira deputy commissioner's office.
Speakers at the rally said, over 4 lakh people in Satkhira, Jessore and Khulna districts became marooned after rainwater and waters from the silted Kabodak and Betna rivers entered the area overflowing their banks in August.
But the areas are still waterlogged and the marooned people are passing hard days due to acute scarcity of food, drinking water and medicines, they alleged.
They also alleged that lack of dredging of the two rivers led to waterlogging in the areas.
They demanded immediate re-excavation of the silted Kabodak, Betna, Shalikha and Marichchap rivers which have already lost navigability, to save the people of the areas.