Khulna's Koyra embankment damaged by cyclone Amphan yet to be repaired

KHULNA, June 18: The embankments of Koyra in Khulna affected by the cyclone Amphan, have not been repaired. The local residents of the upazila have been working tirelessly on voluntary basis for about 25 days to repair the embankments.
Every day about 10-12 thousand people of Koyra have been working since the destruction caused byAmphan for the reconstruction of the dam. They are continuously cutting land till the tide comes in the river, burying bamboo and raising the embankment level by throwing sandbags to save people from waterlogging.
Since the devastation caused bycyclone Aila in 2009, no initiative was taken to build a sustainable embankment in Koyra.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) of Koyra Section Officer Md. Mashiul Abedin said that cyclone Amphan had damaged more than 50- km of the 121-km dam in Koyraupazila. The locals have temporarily stopped the onrush of river water through ring dam. The water of the river is still rising and falling through three or four places. The BWDB has so far donated 0.7 million (7 lakh) pieces of sacks, 8,000 bamboos and 10 maunds of ropes to local volunteers.
Imtiaz Uddin, general secretary of the Koyra Development Struggle Co-ordination Committee, said that their houses, embankments were destroyed by theAmphan. Fish farms and crops have been washed away by the saline water. Since the Amphan destruction, the BWDB played no role in repairing the dam. No visible initiative has been taken to build a permanent dam in the last 11 years after cyclone Aila. A large-scale corruption is going on in the name of building and renovating dams, it is alleged.
In the last two financial years, Tk100 million (10 crore) has been shown for work but the dam has not been developed. On the other hand, ignoring the instructions of the BWDB, the local influential people have been pumping in water from the river by digging holes in the bottom of the vulnerable dam for a long time. That is the main reason for breaching the dam easily when the water pressure rises. In order to protect the livelihood of the region, it is necessary to build a sustainable dam by placing concrete blocks under the supervision of the army.
Koyra Upazila Parishad chairman SM Shafiqul Islam said that the sufferings of the people of Koyra are now extreme.
He also said that the people of Koyra were suffering so much as there was no initiative to build new sustainable embankments after the 1980s. "Upazila Public Health Engineering Office is working to supply potable water. We are struggling hard to remove the water through the sluice gates", he added.
Alhaj Md. Akhtaruzzaman Babu, MP of Khulna-6 constituency, said, "Cyclone Amphanwas stronger than previous storms. With the support of BWDB and Upazila administration, our local people are trying to reconstruct all the damaged embankments through voluntary work. I salute them on behalf of the government.I am trying to fulfilmy election pledges to build the sustainable dam", he said.
According to Koyra Upazila administration sources, 52 villages of four unions of Koyra have been completely damaged and 24 villages of two more unions have been partially damaged by the Amphan. Dams have been damaged everywhere in the upazila. A total of 51,000 houses have been damaged. As a result, 0.172 million (1 lakh 72 thousand) people have been affected. About4500 hectares of shrimp farms have been washed away. In all, an estimated loss of Tk1.55 billion (155 crore)was caused by the Amphan.
The reconstructed dams are inKoyra, Harinkhola, Ghatakhali, Loka of Maharajpur, Dashhalia, Hogla, Ratnagheri of North Bethkashi, eastern side of Gazipara, Gatir Gheri, South Bethkashi, Golkhali, Small Angtihara, Big Angtihara, Charamukha, Jorshing. Three points of Gazipara, PutiGheri and Hajatkhali dams are yet to be reconstructed. With the efforts of the people, the construction of temporary dam will be completed soon.

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