Despite more than Tk1,000 crore being spent on various projects over the past four decades, the Bhabodah region in Jessore is once again reeling from severe waterlogging, with more than a hundred villages submerged following days of continuous rain.
At Sujatpur village of Manirampur upazila, housewife Bithi Rani was desperately trying to save her family and belongings as rainwater entered her home. Recent rains had also submerged the fields, fish enclosures and roads, she said.
“There is waist-deep water in the yard, while the cowshed and kitchen are also flooded. We have moved our cattle to a higher road and are spending nights in a makeshift shelter there. Cooking has become extremely difficult. We are living with our children amid water, snakes and insects. How long will we have to live like this?” she asked.
Her suffering is shared by thousands of residents across Bhabodah. Continuous rainfall has inundated more than 100 villages in Manirampur, Keshabpur and Abhaynagar upazilas. Homes, schools, roads and religious institutions have gone underwater, forcing many families to take shelter on elevated roads with their livestock.
Locals estimate that around 80,000 people are currently waterlogged in several unions of the three upazilas. Thousands of fish enclosures have also been inundated. Shortages of safe drinking water, cattle feed and proper sanitation have made the situation increasingly difficult.
The latest crisis has raised fresh questions over the effectiveness of government initiatives. A Tk140 crore project launched in 2025 to dredge 81.5 kilometres of the Hori and Bhadra rivers had raised hopes of a lasting solution. However, recent rainfall has once again exposed the region’s vulnerability.
Residents blame the worsening situation on the failure to renovate the Amdanga Canal and inadequate drainage through sluice gates and rivers. They said a work order for the canal was issued two years ago, but work has yet to begin. The canal could potentially drain nearly 25% of Bhabodah’s water.
The river dredging project is also incomplete. Locals allege that a temporary embankment south of Kharnia Bridge and accumulated silt have obstructed water flow, worsening the waterlogging.
Iqbal Kabir Zahid, chief adviser to the Bhabodah Water Drainage Struggle Committee, said more than 200 villages across Jessore, Khulna and Satkhira had been inundated. He demanded immediate completion of the Amdanga Canal renovation, removal of temporary embankments and silt, phased implementation of Tidal River Management (TRM), and emergency food and healthcare support for affected people.
Jessore Water Development Board Executive Engineer Palash Kumar Banerjee said the obstruction near Kharnia Bridge had been removed and three sluice gates had been opened. More gates would be opened soon, he said, adding that water was draining rapidly.
Bhabodah covers parts of Abhaynagar, Manirampur and Keshabpur in Jessore and parts of Dumuria and Phultala in Khulna. Local activists say dredging alone cannot solve the crisis and that a coordinated, and long-term drainage plan is essential.
