Waterlogging has recently become a major problem at different places in the country. Bhabodah in Jashore has become a glaring instance of what an extensive damage waterlogging can wreak in a vast area. What was once a fertile farmland with vibrant villages around Bhabodah of Jashore district has remained submerged by deluge due to cloudburst for weeks together and water shows no sign of receding for months together. More than five lakh people in about 150 villages across Jashore and Khulna are marooned and they are facing humanitarian crises mounting with every passing day. Their homes, farmland, schools, and livelihoods have been endangered and devastated.
The critical situation of waterlogging has been compounded by years of river siltation, poor drainage and decades of neglect and mismanagement on the part of the authorities concerned. Thus the rivers have now become the sorrows of Bhabodah. The Bhabodah Water Management Songram Committee held the Water Development Board (WDB) directly responsible for the plight of people. The committee demanded opening of all sluice gate vents, acquisition of land for the Amdanga Canal, and fast-tracking the 81-kilometre river dredging project. At present, what is to be worried about is that only eight of the 21 vents in the Bhabodah sluice gate are functioning but they are far from adequate to drain the floodwaters. As locals allege, poor decision by the WDB has severely hindered natural water outflow.
A serious allegation is raised by the locals that an estimated TK 1,250 crore was spent on Bhabodah-related projects over the past decades, but no sustainable solution has been achieved. Corruption in project implementation have been alleged with much of the funds misappropriated.
However, we can hardly overstate the urgency of the solution to Bhabodah problem as nearly five lakh residents of a vast area face an uncertain future and their only hope is lying in the urgent government action for removal of the prolonged waterlogging. Unplanned human interference in natural waterways has been identified as a major cause of the crisis. Tidal flows, once instrumental in keeping local rivers navigable, have been disrupted by the construction of coastal polders in the sixties and poorly planned sluice gates and embankment. Excessive silt buildup now causes floodwaters to spill into residential areas during the monsoon.
Experts are of the opinion that the Tidal River Management (TRM) method, which utilizes natural tidal flows to remove silt and restore river navigability can be a remedy for Bhabodah misery. The locals cite an example of a pilot TRM project in Beel Khukshia in the area was previously successful and is now seen as a potential long-term remedy for Bhabodah. They urged the authorities concerned to implement such TRM project for removing the sufferings of people. It is learnt that a TK140 crore proposal for dredging rivers and canals in Bhabodah area is awaiting the ECNEC nod. We think there should not be any inordinate delay in the implementation of these projects as those can ease the waterlogging in the area, according to experts.
