Greater parts of Monirampur, Keshabpur, Abhoynagar upazilas and a portion of Noapara pourashava in Jessore are still under water even during the winter season. The problem also affects Dumuria and Fultala upazilas of Khulna district.

Over 3 lakh people of 108 villages in the 5 upazilas are affected only because of a sluice gate set up across the Srinadi river at Bhabaddah in Jessore.

IRRI-Boro can not be cultivated in the areas, not to speak of winter crops like mustard, pulses and vegetables.

The water-logging in the areas was created following the heavy rains in mid-October last year. The problem recurs whenever there is heavy rain.

The sluice gate was set up in 1960s by the then East Pakistan WAPDA due to wrong planning, local officials said.

Since then, governments have changed but the sufferings of several lakh people of the area continue, despite protests, demonstrations and submission of memorandums to the authorities.

In 1994, the then BNP government sanctioned Tk 252 crore to remove the stagnant water. A Tidal River Management (TRM) project was launched to raise the level of land of Beel Bhaina and Beel Kedalia. But the government efforts to introduce TRM in Beel Khuksia an best Kedalia were foiled by local Union Parishad chairmen and land owners who cultivate fish in some of the water bodies, locals alleged while talking to this correspondent during a recent visit.

Life of the three lakh people are virtually paralised by the problem as agriculture, education and trade are affected.

The affected people observed hartal, formed human chain, barricaded roads, laid a siege to offices of local administrations, submitted memoranda and even went on token hunger strike in the last three and a half months.

Agitation programmes are still going on. About 100 people were injured in a clash between locals and musclemen of Paira Union Parishad chairman after villagers tried to cut a small embankment to drain out the water.

Work for removing silt from Srinadi river began in December but the pace is very slow.

Sources said, the work for excavation of a canal to connect Jhikra Beel and Bhairab river is going on to drain out the stagnant water from about one lakh hectares of land in Paira, Chalisia, Shundali and Prembug unions in Abhoynagar upazila under the initiative, of local lawmaker Aminuddin.

About 50,000 hectares of cropland and 60,000 hectares of fish enclosures in the 15 water bodies including Jhikra Beel, Dhaliani Beel, Dumurer Beel, Gandhimara Beel, Haviner Beel, Beel Bokor, Dhopadir Beel, Shundalir Beel and homesteads in neighbouring areas are inundated for last three and a half months, the sources said.

If the canal linking the area with Bhairab river is re-excavated, several lakh people of the area will be relieved of the problem, they added.

Water Development Board (WDB) sources said a project has been taken up to re-excavate the three and a half kilometre canal and construct some bridges, culverts, cross dams and small sluice gates up to Bhairab river.

As work under the WDB project is yet to start, local people on their own initiative and led by local lawmaker Aminuddin has started the re-excavation work at certain points.

But this will not remove the problem as such a massive work needs government help, locals said. They said a railway line and two bridges on roads are main obstacles to draining out the water through the canal.