Waterlogging now a year-round hardship in Jashore's Bhabadah

Water-logging in Bhabadah of Jashore has become unendurable persisting almost year round causing immense suffering to the region's over one million residents.

The once-seasonal crisis has now turned into a year-round ordeal, as tidal silt continues to clog the region's rivers, rendering drainage nearly impossible.

The situation has worsened with the sudden shutdown of the Tidal River Management (TRM) project in Beel Khuksia-an initiative once hailed as the only effective solution to the region's chronic water-logging.

As silt carried by tidal flows accumulates unchecked, the Tekka and Srihari rivers-the main drainage channels-are being filled up rapidly.

The riverbeds have risen considerably during the ongoing monsoon, exacerbating the crisis. Villages like Balidha, Panchakari, Bajekultia, Mosiahati, Hatgacha, Sujatpur, Dumurtola, Lakhidanga, and Kapalia are among the worst-affected. In many areas, floodwater has entered homesteads, leaving residents marooned.

The Bhabadah sluice gate, originally constructed to control the flow of water from 27 adjacent wetlands (locally known as beel), has now turned into a "death trap," locals say.

Due to rising riverbeds, water can no longer drain effectively, and the structure has become more of a hindrance than a help. Out of its 21 gates, 18 are now blocked with silt.

Covering 330 square kilometers across parts of Jashore and Khulna districts, the Bhabadah region has been trapped in a cycle of ineffective interventions and bureaucratic apathy.

Over the years, numerous projects were undertaken-costing an estimated Tk6.50 billion (Tk650 crore)-but with little to no lasting impact.

Rivers such as the Mukteshwari, Tekka, Sri, and Hari have lost navigability due to siltation, resulting in knee-deep water during high tide and completely dry beds during low tide. The consequence is recurring floods during every monsoon.

"The water-logging crisis is becoming increasingly dire," said Kanu Bishwas, coordinator of the Bhabadah Water Management Committee. "Homes are inundated, and the suffering of people knows no bounds."

The worst-hit areas span across Jashore's Abhaynagar, Monirampur, and Keshabpur upazilas, and parts of Dumuria and Phultala upazilas in Khulna. During monsoon, entire villages-homes, farmlands, religious and educational institutions, roads, and fish enclosures-remain submerged. Over 400,000 people are forced to relocate, seeking refuge along highways, in schools, or in makeshift shelters.

During a visit to Bhabadah on April 22, 2025, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as the Ministry of Water Resources, acknowledged the depth of the crisis. "The interim government has begun working on a permanent solution to what has become a near-perpetual disaster," she said. "This cannot be resolved overnight. Dredging of rivers under military supervision has been planned,

and feasibility studies are underway." She further noted that the government's failure to act decisively back in 2005-when the

problem was far more manageable-has made today's challenge significantly more complex.

The residents of Bhabadah have long heard promises and seen plans come and go, but real change remains elusive.

Local experts insist that without reinstating TRM operations, water logging will persist.

Historically, the problem began after the Water Development Board installed 44 polder sluice gates in the area in 1961. From that point, the region's rivers began losing depth. The crisis escalated in 1981 and continued until the implementation of

TRM in 2004 provided some relief. But with the discontinuation of TRM after that, the region once again plunged into annual cycles of inundation.

In 2007, the government briefly revived the TRM in Beel Khuksia, but the momentum was short-lived. Today, as over a million people brace for yet another flood season, Bhabadah stands as a stark reminder of how environmental neglect and policy paralysis can deepen the wounds of a region already gasping for relief.

Prolonged rainfall has left 129 hectares of farmland in Abhaynagar upazila and Bhabadah area waterlogged, severely affecting agricultural activities in the region, according to Upazila Agriculture Officer Lovely Khatun.

Of the submerged land, 125 hectares were cultivated with Aus paddy, 45 hectares with Aman paddy, 58 hectares with vegetables, and one hectare with chilli. "If water cannot be drained quickly, the upazila could face widespread agricultural losses," she warned.

Aminul Haque, senior upazila fisheries officer, said 284 fish enclosures across 225 hectares in the unions of Payra, Chalishia, Shridharpur, Siddhipasha, and Prembagh have been inundated. However, he could not confirm the extent of the losses. Mushfiqur Rahman, project implementation officer (PIO), said continuous rainfall has caused severe water-logging in Bhabadah area, leaving hundreds of families marooned. "We have reported the situation to the higher authorities and will take necessary actions once we receive directives," he added.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Parthapratim Shil said preparations are underway to distribute relief among families stranded in the affected Bhabadah area. "Legal action will be taken against those obstructing water flow by placing illegal nets, barriers, or fishing gear in rivers, canals, and wetlands," he warned. He also noted that the Water Development Board has undertaken maintenance work on the Amdanga canal to aid draining out stagnant water.

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