Affected people repair embankments damaged by calamities

A section of affected people with baskets and shovels were repairing embankments after the river water began to ebb.

They were working without any wages and elderly people, women and children were helping them.

This picture was seen on Monday afternoon while visiting embankments damaged by the cyclone Remal at Maheswarpur area in Koyra of Khulna.

After any disaster, it is seen that local people repair damaged embankments. This has become a regular task of the people in this region.

Villagers said the authorities were alerted repeatedly about the risk of the embankment ahead of the cyclone. But the authorities ignored the matter. However, the affected people have to come forward whenever an embankment is damaged.

When the impact of cyclone Remal subsided on Monday afternoon, the people were found repairing embankments as water entered the locality after the embankments overflowed at 17 points due to the water surge caused by the cyclone.

Sukumar Mandal, a resident of Goriabari village in Koyra, joined the embankment repair work of Shakbaria river. He said, "I am unable to run a family if I don't work even for a day. However, I am working for the sake of survival without any wages. If we don't work, it will take a long time to fix this embankment. At that time, there will be no scope to live in the locality."

Anwarul Islam, a resident of Matbaria, said, "Those who are responsible to repair embankments don't come forward timely. We day labourers are doing this work."

Sources said water entered the locality after the water surge caused by the cyclone Remal overflowed the embankments of the Water Development Board at 17 points of Uttar and Dakshin Bedkashi union, Koyra Sadar, Amadi, Bagali, Maheshwaripur, Maharajpur of Koyra upazila on Monday morning.

When the water receded in the river, locals tried heart and soul to repair the embankment without any wages.

Although they raised the embankments with sacks of mud, several spots were damaged again due to the gusty wind and heavy rainfall.
Embankments in Shingherchar of Maheswarpur union, Doshalia of Moharajpur have been damaged the most.

Krishna Mandal, a resident of Doshalia village of Koyra, said the residents started protecting the embankments when water reached near it during the tide. Although the embankment was repaired to a great extent, it could not sustain due the surge in tidal water early in the morning.
Khulna WDB deputy assistant engineer Mashiul Abedin said they are providing sacks, bamboos and other equipment to repair the embankment so that water cannot enter the locality again.

Koyra upazila administration said 95,000 people have been affected as the cyclone Remal caused breach of embankments resulting in overflowing of water entering the locality. Around 3,000 houses have been damaged. Fish enclosures of around 500 acres of land have been inundated. Around 40,000 people have taken shelter in 116 shelter centres and different educational institutions till noon on Monday.

Md Hasanul Banna, an official at the meteorological department in Koyra, said the main part of cyclone Remal crossed Koyra upazila on Monday morning. At the time, the speed of wind was 102 kilometers in Koyra. A total of 142 millimeters were recorded in 24 hours, which is the highest in the country.

Koyra UNO ABM Tariquzzaman said the people of Koyra have been able to protect the embankment from overflowing water by working without wages throughout the day.

He also said the people willingly work if there is any disaster here.
The upazila administration is working to support the affected people, Tariquzzaman said, adding those who are still in the shelter centres are being provided with food and water.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo online edition, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.