Several hundred people of 22 villages in Patharghata upazila are facing acute crisis of drinking water for the last three days as a 15-km coastal dam caved in opening door to sea water borne by tide triggered by depression.
The 15km WDB embankment developed breaches in 25 points allowing salty water enter through holes submerging villages. At least 50 families have been displaced. They are passing their nights under open sky and suffering due to acute shortage of drinking water, people's representatives of the upazila said.
WDB and Agriculture Department sources said sea water borne by tidal surge made waters of ponds, rivers and canals salty, damaging aus crops on hundreds of acres of land.
At least 50 Aila-affected families who took shelter on embankment of Water Development Board have been displaced and wading in knee-deep sea water as they lost their homes and belongings to tidal surge.
Tidal surge coupled with incessant rain caused flood in vast area rendering hundreds homeless, local administration sources said.
The suffering of the people augmented manifold as sea water poured in ponds making the lone source of drinking water unfit to drink.
The worst-affected villages include Tafalbaria, Padma, Ruhita, Charlathimara, Badurtola, Zintola, Gabbaria, Tengra, Hazirkhal, Haritana, Chaduani, Kalmegha, Kupdon and Jaliaghata.
People of the villages became marooned and aus crops on hundreds of acres washed away.
Nizam Akon, a farmer of Kalmegha village told the news agency that he cultivated aus paddy on 5 acres of land went under flood water.
Asaduzzaman, chairman of Patharghata union parishad said people were suffering a lot as crisis of drinking water had become acute in the last three days ending Monday.
He said either any government official nor representatives of NGO paid a visit to the affected area.
Source : New Age
