Coastal residents in Satkhira and Khulna are growing increasingly anxious about the vulnerable embankments and potential property damage as fears of Cyclone Dana approach.
Although the cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall along India's Odisha coast and West Bengal, both Bangladesh districts continue to experience persistent rainfall.
In Satkhira, coastal residents have yet to fully recover from the damage by Cyclone Remal and several earlier storms.
Just five months after the devastation caused by Remal, Cyclone Dana is once again approaching the coast.
If Cyclone Dana strikes India, the vulnerable embankments may collapse, leading to flooding in the area again.
The tidal surges caused by the cyclone could increase the water levels of rivers, potentially breaching the weak embankments.
The embankments in various areas of Shyamnagar upazila are in precarious condition. Similarly, in Ashashuni upazila, weak embankments pose risks to residents. Recently, water from the Kapotaksha River overflowed into localities.
Nasir Uddin from Gabura union said that the Water Development Board has repaired some embankments after Cyclones Amphan, Yas, and Remal. However, ongoing work in certain areas has left residents increasingly worried about Cyclone Dana's potential impact.
Chairman GM Masudul Alam of Gabura union said that the union is surrounded by the Kapotaksha River and Kholpetua River, with many coastal protection embankments at risk.
Tidal levels rise significantly during low-pressure systems, threatening to overflow the embankments, he said.
According to sources from the Satkhira Water Development Board, there are 683km of embankments under the jurisdiction of two divisions in Satkhira. Among these, 4.5km at nine points are currently in a vulnerable condition.
Executive Engineer Mohammad Salauddin of Satkhira Water Development Board Division-1 said that there are 380 kilometers of embankments in his division, with 2.5 kilometers at six points being vulnerable.
In Khulna, officials from the Water Development Board are continuously monitoring vulnerable embankments in the coastal regions.
Khulna District Commissioner Md Saiful Islam reported that a disaster management committee meeting was held on Wednesday afternoon. A total of 604 cyclone shelters are prepared to accommodate residents from at-risk areas, capable of sheltering up to 315,180 people.
Md Abdul Karim, the district relief and rehabilitation Officer, said that the relief fund includes Tk1,025,000 cash, Tk400,000 for children's food, Tk400,000 for livestock feed, and 707 tons of rice.
These resources will be allocated through local UNOs as needed once people arrive at the shelters.
Md Shahinul Alam, the disaster management officer of Shyamnagar, said that 162 cyclone shelters have been prepared in the vulnerable coastal area of Shyamnagar to combat Cyclone Dana.
Md Salauddin, executive engineer of WDB Division-1, said that his division manages 380km of embankments, with six points at risk, totaling 2.5km. They have sufficient geo-bags, geo-filters, and polyester stocked for immediate response if any incidents occur.
Sheikh Monirul Islam, executive engineer of WDB Division-2, said that there are approximately 303km of embankments in Satkhira, with three points in several polders identified as risky.
Mostak Ahmed, the deputy commissioner of Satkhira, said that all necessary preparations have been made to tackle the cyclone. Directives have been issued to keep fire services, ambulances, boats, and volunteers ready for rescue operations during and after the disaster.
Our Satkhira correspondent Asaduzzaman Sardar and Khulna correspondent Hedait Hossain contributed to this report
