NATORE, Aug 26: Repairing of existing flood control embankments and sluice gates at different points of Chalan Beel is needed immediately.
According to locals, they are suspecting that the existing embankments and sluice gates will not be able to resist the pressure of water flowing from hills and heavy rainfall. It may greatly damage the crops in the beel area.
Under this circumstance, the farmers have demanded immediate repairing of the embankments and sluice gates.
The sources at the administration said Shahina Khatun, deputy commissioner, organised an emergency meeting with the authority of Water Development Board (WDB) recently and asked them to take necessary steps in this regard.
The repairing work of the embankments and sluice gates will be started soon, the sources said.
It is mentionable that Boro paddy of 2,500 hectares of land and seasonal fruits like as watermelon, Bangi, maize and nut of hundreds of hectares of land have already gone under water of the beel area due to incessant rainfall and water coming from the hills recently.
The sources informed some sluice gates, which are located at Pana Ullah channel in the Halti Beel, at Ninguine point of the Atrai River and at Hashpukuria and Naribari channel point of the Nagore River, were built in 1990 with a cost of Tk 6 crore; but most of the gates are now out of order due to lack of maintenance.
Rubon Ali a farmer of village Sherkole said, the authority of WDB, Natore built the sluice gates, but none came to see the condition of the gates since then.
Abdul Gany a farmer of village Patkole said, sluice gates and embankments need immediate repairing, otherwise, flood water may enter the area anytime and farmers will lose everything.
Shafiqul Islam, chairman of Singra Upazila Parishad, informed that few cracks have appeared in the flood control embankments which have been lying in unrepaired condition for long; for this reason, fields of crops went under water which will cause a huge loss to the farmers. He demanded immediate repairing of it.
Sudhangsu Kumer Sarker, executive engineer of Natore Water Development Board, said there are 17 sluice gates at Singra and Gurudaspur under Chalan Beel area of the district. Of them, 16 gates are running as usual.
He claimed the main cause of this situation is that some vested quarters have built unplanned bridges at some points of the embankments taking no permission from the authority.
He further said, notices have been served to the related department for taking necessary action.
