Villagers demand flood protection dam

Around 22,000 villagers of No. 9 Tepa Kharibari union under Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and Saniajan unions under Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district have demanded a flood protection dam to protect their lives, properties and cultivable lands.These villagers are facing great difficulties, as most of the cultivable fields in these two unions are covered with heavy silt. Most of the inhabitants of these two villages are farmers, but after the floods in the last two years, they have been left homeless and jobless. Most of the arable land has turned into barren land in the recent floods. Floodwaters from the upstream have covered the land with heavy silt, making it unusable for agriculture.
Mile after mile of agricultural land in the area are covered with silt. On the same land on which farmers cultivated maize and other winter crops a few years back, there is now no crop. Communication is very difficult—the only roads connecting the villages to Dimla and Hatibandha upazilas have been washed away by the floodwaters, which have also damaged bridges and culverts in the areas. People are being forced to go on foot for their daily necessities to Hatibandha and Dimla upazilas.
Ashraf Ali, a local villager, said: “We are helpless, but there is nobody to look after us. Sick people and pregnant women, in particular, are facing great trouble, as there is no road from the two villages. We have to go on foot over the sandy river basin and it takes more time to reach the destination.”
In the last floods, six primary schools, two community health clinics and a high school were seriously damaged. The affected high school has been shifted to another place, but children have to cross the sandy river bed to reach it. Some 1,260 families of Tepa Kharibari and 1,000 families of the Saniajan union have shifted to the Teesta Bajar area of the Water Development Board (WDB).
Moinul Islam, an Awami Lague activist from Tepa Kharibari village, said a dam of about 2,200 metres, extending between the houses of local residents Momtaj and Hafej Choudhuri, can save the villages; otherwise, the whole area will soon turn into a desert. Already, many villagers are leaving the area, finding no means of livelihood.
Iman Ali, a local farmer, said villagers are facing a lot of problems with their families. In particular, there is a fodder crisis for goats and cattle as there is no grass on the sandy land.
When asked about the two affected unions, Dimla upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Rejaul Karim said they have informed the higher authorities about the problem.
Mustafijur Rahaman, an executive engineer at the Water Development Board (WDB) of Nilphamari district, told The Independent that the river’s course has been diverted as a result of illegal lifting of sand and stones from the frontier area, which has allowed floodwaters to enter this area in the last few years and damage vast tracts of crops, as well as schools, community clinics, and roads in several villages.
A technical committee is preparing a feasibility study for a 2,000-metre-long flood protection dam to save the affected area.

Villagers demand flood protection dam

Around 22,000 villagers of No. 9 Tepa Kharibari union under Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and Saniajan unions under Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district have demanded a flood protection dam to protect their lives, properties and cultivable lands.These villagers are facing great difficulties, as most of the cultivable fields in these two unions are covered with heavy silt. Most of the inhabitants of these two villages are farmers, but after the floods in the last two years, they have been left homeless and jobless. Most of the arable land has turned into barren land in the recent floods. Floodwaters from the upstream have covered the land with heavy silt, making it unusable for agriculture. Mile after mile of agricultural land in the area are covered with silt. On the same land on which farmers cultivated maize and other winter crops a few years back, there is now no crop. Communication is very difficultthe only roads connecting the villages to Dimla and Hatibandha upazilas have been washed away by the floodwaters, which have also damaged bridges and culverts in the areas. People are being forced to go on foot for their daily necessities to Hatibandha and Dimla upazilas. Ashraf Ali, a local villager, said: We are helpless, but there is nobody to look after us. Sick people and pregnant women, in particular, are facing great trouble, as there is no road from the two villages. We have to go on foot over the sandy river basin and it takes more time to reach the destination. In the last floods, six primary schools, two community health clinics and a high school were seriously damaged. The affected high school has been shifted to another place, but children have to cross the sandy river bed to reach it. Some 1,260 families of Tepa Kharibari and 1,000 families of the Saniajan union have shifted to the Teesta Bajar area of the Water Development Board (WDB). Moinul Islam, an Awami Lague activist from Tepa Kharibari village, said a dam of about 2,200 metres, extending between the houses of local residents Momtaj and Hafej Choudhuri, can save the villages; otherwise, the whole area will soon turn into a desert. Already, many villagers are leaving the area, finding no means of livelihood. Iman Ali, a local farmer, said villagers are facing a lot of problems with their families. In particular, there is a fodder crisis for goats and cattle as there is no grass on the sandy land. When asked about the two affected unions, Dimla upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Rejaul Karim said they have informed the higher authorities about the problem. Mustafijur Rahaman, an executive engineer at the Water Development Board (WDB) of Nilphamari district, told The Independent that the rivers course has been diverted as a result of illegal lifting of sand and stones from the frontier area, which has allowed floodwaters to enter this area in the last few years and damage vast tracts of crops, as well as schools, community clinics, and roads in several villages. A technical committee is preparing a feasibility study for a 2,000-metre-long flood protection dam to save the affected area.