People of five villages under Agailjhara upazila of Barisal are badly affected due to the construction work of a bridge over Agailjhara canal in the ongoing monsoon season, which has blocked a portion of the canal, resulting in waterlogging and damaging the villagers' crops and vegetables.

Over fifty thousand people are suffering for the last one month as the water remains stagnant, alleged villagers.

“Waterlogging has damaged our betel leaf gardens and destroyed cultivation,” said Harendra Nath Bain, one of the affected farmers of Jabsen village.

Five villages -- Jabsen, Fullasree, Rangta, Rajihar and Bakal are mostly affected, he said.

“As the water cannot flow properly due to the construction work, the stagnant water has entered into our houses, betel leaf and papaya gardens and damaged our crops,” said Niranjan Bairagi, a betel leaf grower of Bakal union.

Rajkumar Gain, sub-assistant engineer, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Agailjhara, said, “We have started the construction work of this 17 metre bridge, with a cost of around 1.22 crore, from January but failed to complete the piling process in due time.”

Which has blocked a portion of the canal. Photos: Star

“It was supposed to be completed before monsoon, but the construction firm delayed the start of the piling. We have also ordered them to remove the waterlogging immediately,” he added.

Contractor and proprietor of the construction firm Saifuddin Traders Rashidul Islam said, “Some of the problems occurred because of the heavy rainfall, as a result we could not finish the piling work for the bridge.”

He also said that they will set up pipelines at blocked points to resolve the waterlogging crisis.