Miseries pile up for flood- hit people
Flood situation has worsened in several districts and caused sufferings to people as their houses, croplands, ponds and livestock have been damaged.
Fish farmers in the districts are in fear of incurring huge losses this season as their fishes have been washed away after the ponds were inundated.
Many flood-hit people are yet to get any relief or food assistance from the government and passing days with starvation.
In Sunamganj, some 2,846 ponds -- covering around 529 hectares lands -- were washed away by the flash flood, causing damage worth around Tk 21.45 crore to the fish farmers, according to local fisheries officers.
With the Surma, the Jadukata and the Old Surma rivers water exceeding above danger level, all eleven upazilas of the district were affected, including the district town.
So far, from the flooded ponds in the district, estimated 1,267 tonnes of fish and 122 tonnes of fish fries were washed away by the floodwaters, Md AbulKalam Azad, Sunamganj district fisheries officer.
Dijendra Das, a fish farmer of Shorishpur village in Chhatak upazila said, "I only have one pond where I farm fish. But my all fishes have been washed away."
Like him, hundreds of fish farmers are facing similar troubles.
Fisheries Officer Abul Kalam Azad said the government had no initiative to provide financial assistance to the fish farmers.
Meanwhile in Sylhet district, 672 ponds in four upazilas washed away with 261 tonnes of fish which estimated a loss of around Tk 3.31 crore, according to the district fisheries office.
In Jamalpur, over three lakh people of 42 unions in six upazilas and eight municipalities remained waterlogged.
Four people have drowned in flood waters and another one died from snake bite in the district so far, said Nayeb Ali, district relief and rehabilitation officer (DRRO).
Around seven thousand hectares of croplands in the district have been inundated. The crops include-jute, Aush, seedbeds of Aman paddy, vegetables, Teel and maize, said Aminul Islam, deputy director of department of agriculture extension.
The vegetable fields and seedbeds may get damaged if water stays longer, he added.
Officials of the education department said, 17 educational institutions have been affected by the flood.
In Lalmonirhat, most of the flood victims are still deprived of government relief and passing days with almost starvation.
Nur Hossain, 66, a flood victim of Rajpur village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said, "We have been passing days with severe shortage of food. We didn't get any relief or food from the government."
Contacted, Idris Ali, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) in Lalmonirhat, said relief would be distributed among the flood-hit people soon.
Meanwhile, a sand dyke on the Teesta river is under threat in Gobordhan area of Teesta shoal at Mahishkhocha union of Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat.
The villagers are trying to protect the dyke by throwing bamboos and trees.
Local villagers built a 400-foot sand dyke with their own donations and voluntarily labobur.
Local farmer Sekendar Ali, 65, said the dyke act as shield to protect the village, houses, croplands and livestock. If it collapse, everything will be washed away.
Local Union Parishad member Matiar Rahman Mati said he had appealed to the government for repairing the dyke.
In Kurigram, many flood-hit people are yet to get relief from the government.
"Almost all the people of our village are poor. Their households, livestock and other valuables have been washed away. We are passing tough days. But, we are yet to get any assistance from the government," said Azaharul Islam, 62, a flood hit farmer in Rowmari upazila's Char Kartimari area.
In Sirajganj, several hundred houses of a village in Suvagacha area in Kazipur upazila washed away after an embankment was breached by floodwater yesterday.
Many people were seen shifting to higher place, road, flood centres or other safe places for survival.
Our Sylhet, Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur and Pabna correspondents contributed to this report.
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