Curse of Water logging in Pakuria

Before the year 2000 the people of Pakuria village lived in a good economical condition. But since 2000 water-logging has been acting as a curse to the people of this village (Union: Diara, Upazila: Kolaroa, Zila: Satkhira).

Around 360 households are trapped inside water. Among them some have been shifted leaving their own home, cultivable land, livestock everything. And some are living here in a vulnerable condition having nowhere to go due to poor economic condition.

The main cause of this water logging is siltation in the natural waterways, here Kapotakkho River. Over these year since 2000 most of the drainage outlets of the water channels that are supposed to drain out the water have been raised much higher than the shallow lands. Not only natural siltation but also human interventions like construction of embankments. In Pakuria 4-5 km bunds/ embankment is made by the local governments and people. Unplanned village roads construction, creating barriers of water channels for fish culture also cause water logging. Half of the year especially in rainy season lands and houses all undergo water.

Because of permanent water stagnancy the houses in this area are collapsed. ‘Joynagar Family Welfare Center’ one storey building was collapsed totally. No repairing could be done due to lack of dry soil, wood, straw etc. All of these phenomena create a severe accommodation problem in this water logged area.

Moreover people in this Pakuria village cannot find a suitable place to bury the dead Muslim people. They carry the dead body far from the water logged area in a nearby village not inundated by water and bury them. In the last rainy season- 2014 a pregnant woman was dead while taking her to the treatment center as the only mean of communication in rainy season is boat. As it took more time to hire a boat at that night the woman had to die with a new life.

When I go through this village I wonder the people have forgotten to laugh and they are finding a way to get rid of this curse. But hardly have they found the way. Their only demand is to dredge the river Kapotakkho by the local government. Some of the family started fish cultivation in the waterlogged area but in a small scale. In dry season some family plant IRRI rice but in rainy season totally crop less. Some reliefs are given time to time but not enough for a sustainable livelihood. Some families are cultivating carp fish with rice plant in the lowland, some others shifting their livelihood pattern.

In a word they are trying to cope with the adverse situation. They are ready to support local government with their labor in dredging or any other resolving work but they don’t want to leave their root.