The People’s Voice 14: The Flood Struggles of Obhoynagar, Noapara, Jessore

• Date: July 29, 2025

Location: Noapara, Abhaynagar, Jessore, Bangladesh

Date of Interview: July 21, 2025

Conducted by: ALO (Animation Liberate for Organize)

Interview: https://youtu.be/_MGOQLfiWxY?si=r5sAYKyKrww8tfQB 

Executive Summar

This report presents the findings from a qualitative field interview conducted by ALO NGO with five residents of Sundoli Bazaar in Abhaynagar, Jessore. The community is grappling with critical issues, including severe flooding for over 10 months annually, contaminated water sources, high disease burdens, lack of sustainable income, and entrenched poverty. This report not only documents the voices of the residents but also situates their challenges within broader regional and national trends. It concludes with a logical intervention framework and evidence-based recommendations.

I. Local Issues and Community Challenges

1. Chronic Flooding:

Residents report that from Ashadh to Shravan (June to August), the area remains submerged. Over 90% of homes in low-lying areas are flooded annually. The Sundoli Bazaar, despite being elevated, still suffers from extensive waterlogging. The floods destroy assets, disrupt livelihoods, and make mobility nearly impossible.
Shallow and deep tube wells are submerged, causing infiltration of polluted water.
Residents estimate that 80% of the local population lives below the poverty line. This estimate aligns with national data for rural poverty in high-vulnerability coastal belts.

2. Water Contamination & Health Crisis:

Shallow and deep tube wells are submerged, causing infiltration of polluted water.  This leads to waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Residents have identified waterborne illness as one of the most common health burdens.

3. Livelihood & Food Insecurity:

Most people are engaged in small-scale trade or labor-based work. Floods prevent daily wage earners from working, worsening food scarcity. Aid and relief efforts are limited and inconsistent.

4. Extreme Poverty:

• Data Collection: Household surveys with 5 local stakeholders, semi-structured interviews.

• Sampling: Random sampling across Obhoynagar, Noapara, Jessore.

II. Regional and National Context

1. Geography of Vulnerability – Abhaynagar, Jessore:
Abhaynagar is situated in southwestern Bangladesh, near the Bhairab River. The area is part of the Ganges tidal floodplain, which is highly vulnerable to monsoon flooding and poor drainage. According to BBS (2023), Jessore experiences an average rainfall of 1,800–2,000 mm/year.

2. Drinking Water Access – National Context:
According to UNICEF and the WHO Joint Monitoring Program (2023), about 61% of Bangladeshis have access to safely managed drinking water, but in flood-prone rural areas like Jessore, that number drops below 30%.

3. Poverty Statistics:
According to the World Bank (2023), 18.7% of Bangladesh’s total population lives below the national poverty line, with the rate being disproportionately high in the southern coastal belts. In the Satkhira, Khulna, and Jessore zones, localized poverty rates range between 40–60%, with pockets like Sundoli reaching 70–80% due to ecological vulnerability.

4. Health Burden from Waterborne Diseases:
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS, 2023) reported 79,000 cholera cases nationwide, mostly in areas with poor water and sanitation, like Khulna and Jessore.

III. Community-Based Logical Framework for ALO NGO Intervention

Objective	Indicators	Means of Verification	Assumptions
Improve access to safe drinking water	5 community water tanks & 100 purification kits installed	Funds are timely and used transparently	Community cooperates; tech is available
Reduce waterborne disease incidence	40% reduction in diarrhea cases within 1 year	Hospital/clinic records; interviews	Health centers keep reliable data
Enhance flood resilience infrastructure	3 flood platforms built, 1 raised shelter constructed	Engineering reports, beneficiary interviews	Flooding does not exceed 2025 levels
Support livelihood restoration post-flood	50 households receive cash-for-work or microgrants	Financial logs; impact assessment reports	Funds are timely and transparently used
Improve community disaster preparedness	100 people trained in WASH and emergency protocols	Training logs, pre/post-test results	Literacy levels support uptake

IV. Recommendations

1. 1. Short-Term Relief:
      
      • • Provide water purification tablets and mobile water filtration units.
      • • Emergency food rations and hygiene kits during peak flooding season.

1. 1. Medium-Term Infrastructure:
      
      • • Elevate deep tube wells or install solar-powered water purification hubs.
      • • Build raised platforms for housing and livestock shelter.

1. 1. Long-Term Capacity Building:
      
      • • Implement WASH education for children and women.
      • • Form community water committees with training on maintenance and disaster response.

1. 1. Partnerships:
      
      • • Collaborate with DPHE, BRAC, and local Union Parishads to align infrastructure development.
      • • Engage international donors for climate adaptation funds.

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V. Conclusion

The community of Sundoli Bazaar in Abhaynagar, Jessore, serves as a microcosm of the deep environmental, health, and economic challenges faced by Bangladesh’s vulnerable southern belt. ALO’s interview shows that the community is resilient and aware, but lacks access to basic services. This report calls for an integrated, evidence-based intervention plan—anchored in safe water access, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and poverty alleviation—to create sustainable impact. This report will serve as the foundation for our future project proposal to donors and partners.

VI. References

• • Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2023.

• • Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Annual Health Bulletin, 2023.

• • World Bank, Poverty and Equity Brief: Bangladesh, April 2023. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/publication/poverty-and-equity-briefs
    

• • UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, 2023. https://washdata.org

• • Climate Change Cell, Ministry of Environment, Bangladesh, 2022.

• • IPCC 6th Assessment Report, Chapter on South Asia Vulnerabilities.