It has become a rule that houses are submerged in flood water once or twice during the rainy season. At this time, people in four or five villages of Khalilpur union of Moulvibazar Sadar upazila mentally prepare for the flood. Not only do houses get submerged when the Kushiyara river overflows its banks; crops in the fields are submerged, and village roads become impassable. Such suffering has become a part of the villagers’ lives for several years.
Local residents complain that no permanent defense dam has been built there for a long time. Due to the lack of a permanent and high dam, thousands of villagers have to suffer from flood waters several times a year. During the last rainy season, the water of the Kushiyara River entered the villages at least three times. Many families had to leave their homes and go to the shelters. When the water of the Kushiyara River enters, the water remains for two to two and a half months. Due to waterlogging, many have to build bamboo bridges in their yards and leave their homes. Many families have to spend a long time in the shelters. Every year, about a thousand families from several villages including Muktinagar, Brahmangram, Hamarkona, and Daudpur are flooded due to floods. In addition, the Sherpur-Hamarkona road, Afrozganj and Sherpur markets in the village and the local Azad Bakht High School and College area are also flooded every year.
On January 25, while visiting the villages along the Kushiyara River in Sherpur of Khalilpur Union of Sadar Upazila, it was seen that the water level of the Kushiyara River is now much lower. The river water is flowing slowly and calmly. But since there is no dam, this river becomes a cause of panic for the people living along the banks during the rainy season. Even after many days of last year’s flood, there are scars on the river banks, the unpaved roads inside the villages, various houses and structures. While walking along the river bank from the Sherpur ferry ghat, it was seen that many unpaved houses are located along the banks in Brahmangram. A road has been built for the village on the banks. In some places along the road, the sand bags that were thrown to prevent the water level during the rainy season are still there. In some places in Brahmangram, landslides have occurred on the slopes of the river bank. Long cracks have formed along the banks. Villagers fear that if erosion begins at the site of these cracks during the next monsoon season, nearby houses, crop fields, and other structures will be at risk.
Cracks formed on the banks of the Kushiyara River. Brahmangram, Khalilpur UnionPhoto: Prothom Alo
Some local residents said that last year, to prevent water from overflowing the road, the villagers voluntarily built a dam with bamboo fences and laid sandbags. But it was not possible to stop the water. The water broke all the resistance and flooded the village. At one place, the road was broken by the flow of water and became like a canal. They have made arrangements to walk there by building a bamboo bridge.
Nurunnesa of Brahmangram said, “Not once or twice, every fifteen years, when the dam breaks, the flood water also rises in the house.” Abdur Rahim of Hamarkona village told Prothom Alo, “Floods come every time. This time (last monsoon) there have been three floods. There is no permanent dam, the water of Kushiyara enters the village by pushing it. If there had been a dike (dam) of Kushiyara, the water would not have entered.” Abdul Ahad of the same village said, “This time (last monsoon) I have planted rice seedlings in the crop field three times (rice seedlings have been planted). At the end, some rice has been harvested (some rice has been harvested). If there is no dike (dam) in Kushiyara, there will be no peace.”
Khalilpur Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Abu Mia Chowdhury mentioned the construction of a dam on the Kushiyara bank as a permanent solution to this problem. He said, “We have been talking about building this dike since 1988. I was a UP member at that time. The demand for building a dike has now become a slogan, but it has not been built yet. This time, we want to raise the road on the Kushiyara bank a little with the allocation of the Union Parishad, so that even if the water rises, it cannot enter easily.”
When asked about this, Khaled Bin Oled, executive engineer of the Moulvibazar office of the Water Development Board (PAUBO), told Prothom Alo that there is no dam at that place (Sherpur area) of Kushiyara. A survey is underway on the Moulvibazar, Sylhet and Habiganj sections of the Kushiyara river. A project will be taken after the survey. That place will also be included in this project.
Source: Prothom Alo
