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Kalapara human chain: People demand bundh, not relief
Kalapara numan chain 24.07.2022
Patuakhali: Hundreds of affected people formed a human chain in Patuakhali's Kalapara demanding 'not relief but embankment'. The human chain was formed at the sluice area of Chandupara broken embankment of Lalua Union of the upazila at around 11:30 am on Sunday.
The speakers demanded the construction of the Chandupara embankment, which was destroyed by the Ravanabad River.
For the past decades, abnormal tides caused by the effects of new moon and full moon seep in through the broken bundh. Because of this, about five thousand families of Charipara, Chandupara, Char Chandupara, Manjupara, Nawapara, Baro Panchnong, Chota Panchnong and Munsipara villages of Lalua Union became waterlogged. Due to tide, the internal road communication is closed. The sanitation system has collapsed. There is a severe shortage of fresh water
Due to this embankment which has remained broken for many years, permanent water logging has occurred in several areas of this union. Earlier, six-year-old Roni Biswas and 14-month-old Julifa died after drowning while crossing the road and sanko (bamboo structure to cross canal) in this flood. In addition, due to the lack of a embankment, when the water rises during the tide, about 1200 acres of crop land is submerged. Aman cultivation has started this year, but in the last 15 days of permanent waterlogging, the seed beds on about 100 acres of land have been destroyed.
Affected people demand that the broken bundh of Char Chandupara village be repaired very quickly. At the same time, the four-valve sluice at Kala Mia, which has collapsed due to water pressure in Chandupara village, should be repaired. They are seeking the intervention of the Prime Minister.
Masud Howladar, UP member of Chandupara village, said that currently Chandupara bundh is in critical condition at 18 points. There is a fear that the damaged dam will give in and flood new areas when the water rises during the next new moon tide. – Gofran Biswas