Mashiur Selim, Cumilla South

Due to severe drought in the dry season and severe cold in winter in the greater Laksam upazila of southern Comilla, nature is not moving at its normal pace.

Specially due to less rainfall and unplanned extraction of water from the ground during the Iri-Boro season, the water crisis is becoming more and more pronounced day by day.

Multiple sources from local farmers said that during the dry season, canals, bilges, ponds, reservoirs, and ponds along with the Dakatia River remain empty. Nearly half a hundred canals have lost their youth and are on the verge of disappearing due to forced encroachment.

As a result, agriculture, public health, plants, animal resources, and fishermen-boatmen in this region are at serious risk of human life. The Dakatia River is located about 60-62 miles from the junction of the Gumti River in Comilla to the junction of the Meghna River in Chandpur.

During the dry season, this river remains empty of water. Laksam, Lalmai-Manoharganj Upazila of Comilla, Laksipur and Chandpur districts have been filled with silt and silt soil for miles.

On top of that, there is a competition for the forced occupation festival of the local influential people on both banks of the Dakatiya River. Although the river is not full of water, the water consumption of several lakhs of people has been put at risk due to the contamination of water with untreated waste from various industries including kachurifena, rice mills.

Meanwhile, the traditional Laksam Rajghat, Saman Pul Ghat, Daulatganj Golbazar Nau-Yanghat, Paschimgaon College Ghat, Ichhapura Ghat, Kaliapur Ghat, Amtoli Bazar Ghat, Manoharganj Bazar Nau-Yanghat, Pomgaon Ghat, Chitoshi Bazar Nau-Yanghat and more than a hundred other nau-Yanghats in this region have disappeared today. The sources also said that the livelihood of the people of this region once depended on the Dakatiya River. Boats, launches and steamers, along with boatmen and fishermen, used to enliven the life of this river.

As the main commercial city of the southeastern part of the country, Laksham Daulatganj Bazar used to turn into a commercial fair. There were hundreds of ferry crossings for crossing. But these days, those ferry crossings do not exist. There were countless ferry crossings on both banks of the Dakatia River, and thousands of people used to cross through those ferry crossings every day. Especially, the traditional canals with various names like Chalitali Canal, Karjankhal, Berula Canal, Ghagoir Canal, Mellakhal, Fatepur-Sonaimuri Canal, Chiliniya Canal, Kuchaitli Canal and many others no longer exist. Bridges, roads and markets have been built in this region to increase the convenience of citizens. As a result, agricultural and commercial cities have been developed in various places in this region.

The regionally based seaports of the southeastern part of the country were being developed around these moorings. For 50 years, no one has looked up to the development of the river. As a result, many moorings have disappeared today in the clutches of encroachers.

Despite repeated attempts to reach the officials of several departments concerned, including the district-upazila and water resources departments, on their mobile phones, it was not possible to get any statement from them.