Ashrayan homes under water for 3 months

An Ashrayan (shelter) project with 56 houses in Khulna's Dumuria upazila has remained inundated for the last three months, leaving over a hundred residents amid untold sufferings.

The project was constructed in an unplanned manner in a low-lying area, ignoring objections from local representatives.

Locals said the shelter was developed in an area where a river used to flow even a decade back.

Visiting the shelter project recently, this correspondent saw most houses lying amid knee to waist deep water.

Rabeya Begum, a resident, said she left their allotted house with her husband and son three months ago and moved to a house that is slightly less sunken, sharing it with two other families.

"For the last three months, residents here have been living amid difficulties. We cannot use the bathroom in the house as it has dirt floating inside," she said.

Abdul Barik, another resident, said after the shelter became submerged three months ago during monsoon, most residents were forced to leave the shelter and are now renting houses in neighbouring villages.

"It is true that our government gave us a house, but what benefit is it to us if we cannot live in it? The UNO is yet to visit the shelter after it became inundated," he said.

"Before site selection, I repeatedly requested the then upazila nirbahi officer not to construct the shelter there," said Abdul Goffur Gazi, a local union parishad member.

"The UNO did the government's project whimsically, without consulting locals. Ultimately poor people are suffering now," he alleged.

Ashraf Hossain, upazila project implementation officer, said the project was constructed during the dry season.

The situation has turned worse as water cannot drain through the canal because the Shoilmari river has become silted and the sluice gate is not operational, he said.

"It is not our responsibility to drain the water, it has to be done by the Water Development Board," the upazila PIO added.

Dumuria UNO Sharif Asif Rahman said the upazila parishad and several surrounding villages are still waterlogged.

"If the rivers are not dredged, not only the shelter project, but the surrounding villages will become permanently inundated. We are in touch with departments concerned to dredge the river and repair the sluice gates," he added.