The Daily Star, 8 September 2009
Around two lakh people in Dakope and Koira upazilas in Khulna and Tala upazila in Satkhira district have become homeless or marooned due to the recent downpour and rise in the water level of rivers.
One lakh 50 thousand people have become homeless in seven unions under Koira upazila of Khulna district following torrential rains, rise in the water level of Kobadak and Pashur rivers and breach in embankments, reports our staff correspondent from Khulna.
Two women wade through floodwater in Kumira union under Tala upazila of Satkhira district yesterday. Flood triggered by recent downpour marooned around 50 thousand people in the upazila. Photo: STAR
Almost all the houses of seven unions in the upazila have been inundated by torrential rains, rise in water level of Kobadak River and breaches in embankments, said Koira upazila Chairman Mohsin Reza.
Heavy downpour, rise in the water level of Pashur River and breaches in six embankments have made 20 thousand people homeless as 20 villages of Sutarkhali, Kamarkhola, Tilonga and Banishanta unions under Dakope upazila of the same district have been flooded.
The recent natural calamity has added to the misery of the people who are still struggling to recover from devastation caused by last year’s cyclone Aila.
The affected people have taken shelter in the cyclone centres where they are staying in sub-human condition amid accommodation problem and want of food and drinking water.
Those who have somehow managed to stay in their flooded houses are also in urgent need of food.
Clay-made houses of all inundated villages have collapsed due to onrush of water flowing over the rivers in Dakope and Koira upazilas.
Road transport in inundated roads has remained suspended since Saturday.
Terming the situation as quite alarming, upazila nirbahi officers (UNO) of Dakope and Koira upazilas said they are not in a position to provide any help in cash or kind to the affected people until fresh fund is provided for the purpose.
Our Satkhira correspondent reports: Over 50,000 people in 67 villages under ten unions in Tala upazila have become marooned as silted Kabodak River, fed by rainwater during three days’ downpour, overflowed its bank and flooded the area.
The road link between Satkhira and Khulna remained suspended since Sunday as Satkhira-Khulna road at Noapara in Tala upazila has gone under two to four feet water.
The affected people have taken shelter on high roads or educational institutions.
Vast tracts of submerged land under Sarulia, Islamkati, Kumira, Tentulia, Dhandia, Jalalpur, Nagarghata, Islamkati, Magura and Khalishkhali unions see water logging as silted up Kobadak River cannot absorb the water, sources said.
The recent floods have destroyed newly transplanted Aman plants on about 5000 hectares of land, 245 shrimp enclosures, 1674 ponds used for fish cultivation and betel leaf worth over Tk 5 lakh in the area, sources in the agriculture and fisheries department said.
