Flood Risk Rises: Silt blocks Gangrail River

Khulna Correspondent :

Uncontrolled siltation has pushed the Gangrail River in Dumuria upazila of Khulna district to the brink, raising fresh fears of flooding and prolonged waterlogging across large parts of the region.

Once 70 to 100 feet deep, the river now holds only 5 to 7 feet of water during low tide. Nearly 40,000 families in Magurkhali and southern Dumuria are at risk as the river’s drainage capacity continues to shrink. Local sources say the Gangrail has lost around 20 feet of depth in just one year, turning the once fast-flowing river into a near-stagnant channel.

Sediments from upstream rivers have settled heavily on the riverbed, while reduced discharge to the Bay of Bengal has worsened the situation. During last year’s monsoon, tidal surges breached embankments in parts of Baroikat, flooding nearby areas.

The Gangrail, which drains vast parts of Dumuria and neighbouring areas of Jashore district before joining the Shibsa River, is now severely degraded. Several connected rivers, including the Shibsa, Shailmari and Salta, have already lost navigability, worsening waterlogging for tens of thousands of families for nearly half the year.

Md Tarikul Islam, sub-divisional officer ( SO) of the Water Development Board, said the river’s condition was “extremely alarming,” stressing that urgent dredging is needed to restore its drainage and navigational capacity.