Aila damage estimated at Tk 1,020 crore

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka NewAge, June 4, 2009

The country has suffered a financial loss of about Tk 1,020 crore and a production loss of crops of nearly 3.75 lakh tonnes as over 2.50 lakh hectares of land had been submerged due to the recent devastating cyclone Aila. 
   

The Department of Agricultural Extension disclosed this Wednesday after conducting a final assessment on the extent of damage to the crops.
   

Various standing crops, including aus seedbeds, aus paddy, boro paddy, jute, chilli, vegetables, nut, palm, mung, betel leaf, banana, papaya and mango, have been damaged as the cyclone Aila hit the south-western parts of the country.
   

Meanwhile, the DAE has already taken up a rehabilitation programme for T-aman cultivation involving Tk 32.50 crore in upcoming July considering the loss of about 50 per cent crops. 
   

The programme will implement in 12 worst cyclone-hit districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Barisal, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barguna, Jhalakati, Chittagong, Lakshmipur and Noakhali.
   

A high official of the DAE told the news agency that despite the loss of various crops, the government will provide assistance for cultivation of a particular crop like T-aman.

Considering the overall loss by the farmers, the government is likely to continue the programme up to the boro season, the official said adding that sub-assistant officers of the DAE had already prepared lists of the affected farmers.
   

About 44,082 hectares of land, and over one lakh poor and marginal farmers will be brought under the assistance programme, said the DAE official.
   

A farmer will get five kgs of seeds, 18 kgs of urea and 8 kgs of triple super phosphate and 9 kgs of muriate of potash for cultivating a bigha of land under the programme.
   

The government will provide 1,400 tonnes of T-aman seeds, 2,400 tonnes of TSP, 5,000 tonnes of urea and 2,800 tonnes of MoP fertilisers for the farmers.
   

Besides, the Islamic Development Bank under the Jeddah declaration will provide seeds and fertilisers worth Tk 13.36 crore for the cyclone-hit poor and marginal farmers free of cost.

People in Koyra start selling cattle, poultry birds

Tapos Kanti Das . Koyra, Khulna, NewAge, June 2, 2009

A good number of people in Koyra upazila, badly affected by the cyclone Aila, are forced to sell their cattle and poultry birds for meagre prices for want of animal fodder and poultry feed.
   

The cyclone Aila, which ripped through the southern coastal districts on May 25 triggering giant water surges, killed 41 people, 1,562 cattle and 1,200 poultry birds and damaged partly or totally more than 13,820 houses affecting 1,52,496 people of all the seven unions of the upazila, according to the upazila administration statistics.
   

The administration sources said that 50 thousand people had taken shelter at 61 shelter centres, while a large number of victims had taken refuge on embankments and roads, leaving their homesteads inundated by water whipped up by the cyclone and gushing through the breaches of embankments.
   

According to the upazila livestock department statistics, there are 50,000 cows, 1,200 buffalos, 9,000 goats, 5,000 sheep, 80,000 poultry birds in the affected areas of the upazila.
   

Relief workers said vast areas of the upazila were still under water and that there was a severe crisis of fodder and water for cattle which were forced to drink saline water dangerously polluted by decomposing carcasses.
   

There has been an outbreak of waterborne diseases not only in humans but also in cattle in the worst affected villages, said Abdul Majid, 45, of village Madinabad of the upazila. He has taken shelter on the embankment near his village and sold his only goat for Tk 800, the price of which would otherwise be almost double.
   

‘Taking advantage of the situation, traders are visiting us to buy cattle and poultry birds and we are selling the flocks for meagre prices as we badly need money’, said Amena Bibi, 45, of a village in Koyra.
   

‘There is a crisis of fodder and water for cattle in the affected areas and the marooned people need relief,’ said Dakkhin Bedkashi union parishad chairman Shamsur Rahman.
   

Khulna district livestock officer Obaidul Karim told New Age that the outbreak of animal diseases had not yet turned alarming and that the affected people were selling their cattle and poultry birds due to a severe crisis of fodder and safe drinking water as well as for money that they badly needed to buy food.

River of sand

The Padma appears to be a “river of sand” with water receding fast since September last. Experts blame the drying up of the river on the Farakka Barrage upstream in India. The photo was taken yesterday at Srirampur, Rajshahi. Photo: STAR