KHULNA, Nov 16 (UNB): Around 1.5 million (15 lakh) people in Fulhatla, Dumuria, and Aronghata's Beel Dakatiya of Khulna have been stranded due to waterlogging for nearly two months.
Repeated rainfall from August to October led to severe waterlogging in the absence of proper water drainage system, causing severe miseries.
Locals said the people of this region are facing shortages of food and clean water and many have fallen sick with waterborne and skin diseases.
In some areas, the situation is so dire that there is no space to bury the dead.
Dumuria Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Muhammad Al-Amin said that the situation in Beel Dakatia was particularly severe this year.
"We have prepared a proposal to address the waterlogging issue. We are not rushing into any decisions. We plan to take time, possibly 1-2 weeks, to gather opinions from water experts, environmental specialists, and academics from various universities. "
If necessary, we will bring in experts from Dhaka to work with us and then present the plan to the district administration, he added.
The affected area spans parts of Fulhatla, Dumuria, Aronghata, and even parts of Jessore's Abhaynagar and Keshabpur Upazilas. This area encompasses 30,000 acres of cultivable land.
Due to heavy rainfall and poor drainage system the land has remained submerged for almost two months. Fish farmers have also faced difficulties as silt has accumulated in the rivers, exacerbating the crisis.
Due to waterlogging crops have been destroyed, income sources have been cut off, and the area is experiencing extreme food shortages.
The demand for a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem is urgent for the trapped residents of this region.
In an interview, Professor Mia Golam Parwar, secretary seneral of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and former MP for Khulna-5 constituency (Fulhatla and Dumuria), stressed the need for ending the problem.
Water Resources secretary Nazmul Ahsan said the Ministry of Water Resources is eager to find a quick solution to alleviate the suffering of the people trapped in the floodwaters. "We aim to take local residents' opinions and expert advice to come up with a new plan for a permanent solution."
