‘The broken dam in Pabna area of Maharajpur Union will be repaired tomorrow morning. You all come there in the morning. Stand by the people in danger. ‘This is how miking was done in Koira Upazila Sadar and Maharajpur Union from Thursday afternoon. Responding to this momentary miking, thousands of people gathered at the site of the broken dam from Friday morning. By then, the tide has turned in the Shakbaria river.
Mike called out to everyone to get down to work. After that the struggle to repair the broken dam in Pabna area started. Some are filling the sacks with soil and some are taking the sacks to the place of the broken dam. Some are busy building dams and poles. The women were not sitting either. They were also working by feeding water to the sweaty, tired people and bringing it here and there.
In this way, after the continuous work till 12 noon, the locals were able to repair the dam before the tidal water came. About 2,000 people were involved in this work.
This practice of building dams has been going on in the coastal areas for ages. Tying a broken dam is called ‘Chapan’ in the local language. Those who take part in this pressure know that they will not get any remuneration in return. Even then, they work hand in hand to help each other.
The dam in Pabna area broke last Wednesday at high tide. Ward 2 of Maharajpur Union was completely submerged and wards 1 and 3 were partially submerged in the salt water of the sea. On Thursday morning, the locals could not even try to repair the dam. That’s why they started working with more people on Friday. 10,000 sacks filled with sand and soil have been dumped at the broken place.
Besides, the embankment of Shakbaria river in Antihara area of South Bedkashi union has also been repaired today. About two thousand people took part in that work. Locals said the dam had to be repaired as soon as possible after it collapsed. Otherwise, on the one hand, the erosion area becomes deeper like water, on the other hand, new areas are flooded by tidal water every day. Once the erosion area is deep, it is difficult to build a dam there.
Imtiaz Uddin, general secretary of the Koira Development Struggle Coordination Committee, repaired the dam. He said the work of repairing the broken dam has been going on for a long time hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder. No matter how big the controversy, political or personal, no one is reluctant to do so. It has been mixed with the blood of the people of Koira area since birth.
As a result of cyclone Yas, embankments of at least 10 places in 4 unions of Koyra upazila broke due to high tide on Wednesday and Thursday. About half a hundred villages were flooded. The worst affected is Maharajpur Union. Dams have broken in the Dashalia and Hogla areas of the Kopotaksh river flowing along the western side of the union. At least 10 villages including Gobindpur, Diyara, Dashalia and Maharajpur have been flooded.
Almost all the villages of the union have been inundated due to the collapse of the dams in Mathbari and Pabna areas of the union. Locals repaired the dam in Mathbari area on Wednesday night. And today the dam in Pabna area was repaired. The water coming from the broken place of Pabna area reached Sadar Union.
GM Abdullah Al Mamun, chairman of the Maharajpur Union Parishad (UP), said about 6,000 families had been flooded as a result of river erosion. About 5,000 bighas of fish have been submerged in the water. The Water Development Board (Paubo) is assisting in repairing the dam with sacks and bamboo poles. Dam repair work in Dashalia and Hogla areas will continue from Saturday. He said there were problems in repairing the dam due to the lack of soil in the area.
News Desk : Trusted Ultra