UNB, Narayanganj :Thousands of people living inside the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra (DND) dam areas have been marooned following incessant rains for two days.After the rainfall, caused by cyclone Roanu, low-lying areas of Fatullah and its surrounding DND areas have submerged, with many points going under ankle to waist-deep water causing immense sufferings to the local residents. Local people cannot go out to join their works due to the water-logging. And even, many schools and madrashas have been shut as their students are unable to go out of their homes, witnesses said.About 56 square kilometres low-lying areas inside the 32-kilometre DND dam-Sastapur, Tallasha, Gaptola, Kayempur, Chandmari, Inslambagh, Shahidnagar, Enayetnagar, Sabujbagh, Kutubpur, Pagla, Aliganj, Dapa, Raghunathpur, Lamapara, Patantoli, Haziganj, Dupata and Jalkori-have been swamped by rainwater.People living inside the DND embankment said grabbers have already occupied most of the canals of the areas, leaving little scope for rainwater to run off. Delwar Hossain, a resident of Tallasha area, said their neighbourhood has got flooded as it is located inside the DND dam. He alleged that many installed infrastructures occupying canals and water-bodies and many industries were set up on the canals at Fatullah, restricting rainwater flow. Chairman of Kotubpur Union Parishad Monirul Islam Monto said water-logging happens inside the DND dam every year and he brought it to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner and Upazila Nirbahi Officer, seeking steps to resolve the long-running crisis.Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board (Shimrail Pump Station of Shiddirganj) Golam Sarwar told UNB that four 128-cusec capacity pumps in addition to 22 small ones are in constant operations to pump out the water from inside of the DND dam.
