Residents of the coastal areas of Satkhira fear that the oncoming Cyclone Asani will overwhelm weak embankments and flood the area once again.
The coastal residents are still recovering from the damage caused by flooding when Cyclone Amphan made landfall in May 2020. On Saturday, the Met Office announced that a deep depression in the southeastern Bay of Bengal and nearby areas had intensified into Cyclone Asani.
Rabi Sardar, from Vetkhali village in Shyamnagar upazila, said many embankments damaged during Amphan were yet to be fully repaired.
“If they are not fixed before the upcoming cyclone, the embankment will break. The fishery resources of thousands of acres of land in the area will be damaged,” he added.
Dinesh Mandal, from Durgabati village in Burigoalini upazila, said: “During Cyclone Yaas [in May 2021], the embankment broke and flooded houses. Crops were also destroyed. If the Water Development Board had fixed the embankments after Amphan, we would not have been flooded.”
Dalim Gharami, a former member of the Satkhira District Council, said: “Due to the risky embankment here, we have to face a crisis whenever there is a natural calamity. Despite repeated assurances from the government, the authority is yet to build more embankments.”
Billal Hossain, general secretary of the Sundarbans Press Club, said that there is no alternative to building sustainable embankments to save the people of the coast from disaster.
He mentioned that the fragile embankments built during the 1960s were still the main line of defense from flooding. “Even if the thunderstorm doesn't hit our coast, many areas will be flooded if the river rises three to four feet above normal.”
Masud Rana, assistant engineer of Shyamnagar upazila zone of Water Development Board, said: "We are fully prepared to reduce the damage caused by Cyclone Asani. Adequate sand-filled bags and other necessary items are ready. Work is underway in many high-risk areas to prevent damage.”
