KHULNA, Dec 12: Shahanara Begum, an elderly woman from Harinkhola Village in Koyra Sadar Union, who has witnessed six severe cyclones in the last decade, becomes fearful when any embankment near her thatched house collapses.
"I lost my husband and elderly mother-in-law during super cyclone 'Aila', as well as it flooded her mud house, cows and a little shrimp enclosure," she recalled the horrible memory of the devastating cyclone on May 29, 2009, to The Daily Observer recently.
Shahanara, who now earns a livelihood as a worker in different shrimp enclosures and crop fields, runs her four-member family through the hardship days.
Like Shahanara,Mofida, Monnujan, Sharmin, Halim Sheikh, Motleb Gazi and Sarwar Mia of the village of the coastal upazila are living through fighting various natural disasters - cyclone, river erosion, embankments collapse, salinity and the adverse impact of climate change.
They demanded sustainable embankment immediately before the rainy season, otherwise their livelihood would be uncertain if their resources were washed away during any natural disaster.
In a recent visit, residents of the coastal upazila of Koyra are gripped by fear as continuous riverbank erosion threatens the embankment protecting their houses.
The anxiety is particularly acute among families living along the riverbanks, who fear that an abnormal rise in tidal water could cause the embankments to collapse at any moment, allowing saline water to rush into the locality.
According to the Water Development Board (WDB), Koyra Upazila has 154 kilometres of embankments under Polders 13-14/1 and 13-14/2 across five unions.
Of these, 21 kilometres are classified as vulnerable, including 8 kilometres marked as highly vulnerable. Repair works are underway at several points.The vulnerable stretches include Ghatachh?li, Harinkhola and Gariyabari in Koyra Sadar Union, Dashhalia and Mathbari Launch Ghat in Maharajpur Union, Shikaribari, Kalibari, Khordalkati, Baniyakhali, Shinger Kona and Hodda Sibshardhar in Maheshwaripur Union, Ratnargheri and Kathmar Char in Uttar Bedkashi Union, and Charamukha, Matiabhanga and Golkhali in Dakshin Bedkashi Union of Sundarbans.
The highly vulnerable 8-km portion covers parts of Maharajpur, Koyra Sadar, Dakshin Bedkashi and Uttar Bedkashi unions.
Nurul Islam Khoka, member of Ward-2 of Maharajpur Union Parishad (UP), said that unless the vulnerable sections are repaired before the current season ends, saline water could inundate the area, causing extensive damage to lives and property.
Didarul Islam, UP member of Ward-3 of Dakhin Bedkashi Union, said around 200 metres of embankment at Matiabhanga subsided into the river on the night of 6 December this year.
Local residents managed to prevent flooding by constructing a temporary ring embankment through voluntary labour.
He warned that if permanent repairs are not completed before the monsoon, the area could face a major disaster.
While talking to the Observer, Uttar Bedkashi Union Chairman Sardar Nurul Islam and Maheshwaripur Union Chairman Shahnewaz Shikari expressed similar concerns, saying that several points could breach if repairs are delayed.
Dakhin Bedkashi's Acting Chairman Osman Gani added that the union,-largely riverbank-dependent, is facing severe erosion. The recent collapse at Matiabhanga has left locals in constant fear.
WDB officials said, the two polders in Uttar and Dakhin Bedkashi are part of a Tk 1,200-crore rehabilitation project under the Ministry of Water Resources.
The project includes heightening and widening 32 km of embankment, slope protection, river training, and afforestation. The erosion point at Matiabhanga also falls under this project.
Rashidul Islam, Sub-Divisional Engineer of Satkhira-2 WDB, attributed delays to land acquisition complications, delayed allocation, scarcity of sand and soil, and tidal conditions that restrict working hours.
Contacted, Executive Engineer Abdur RahmanTasfia said, work on the vulnerable sections of Polders 13-14/1 and 13-14/2 is ongoing, and efforts are being made to complete the project as quickly as possible.
Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman, President of Greater Khulna Development Action Coordination Committee, told the Observer that the construction of sustainable embankment is necessary to save the people of the coastal upazilas.
Terming most of the embankments were constructed in the decade of 1960, he said, substandard embankments were constructed during the previous government regime.
