In last three months, they staged several protest programmes including barricading the Jessore-Khulna highway and besieging the Jessore Deputy Commissioner's office for steps to remove stagnant water from several thousand acres of land, created by a sluice gate at Bhabadaha.

Several political leaders visited the area and assured agitating people of immediate steps, but nothing happened yet.

This correspondent on Thursday visited the areas and talked to some local people. They said the manmade flood persists only due to the sluice gate, installed illegally by some local infleuntials. Rains from June 7 to 10 and from July 7 to 10 inundated over 100 villages in Abhoynagar, Keshabpur and Monirampur upazilas in Jessore district. They said lands in the areas will remain uncultivated in the dry season also if the stagnant water can not be removed.

Last year, water-logging created by rains in October persisted for about nine months, they said

The only solution to the problem removal of the sluice gate and digging a canal to drain out the water to Bhairab river.

About five lakh people in three upazilas of Jessore are virtually marooned. Besides homesteads, compounds of several educational institutions are inundated, the local people said.

In some areas, people were seen taking shelter on makeshift raised platforms after shifted cattle to safer places.

Many people have taken shelter on roads and embankments.