Thousands still in storm shelters
Several thousands of people in coastal regions are still staying at cyclone centres, embankments or other shelters as their homes remain submerged under tidal surges following Cyclone Yaas.
Dwellers of Khulna's Koyra upazila and Patuakhali's Kalapara upazila have been among the worst victims of the natural disaster which struck on May 26.
Besides, vast areas of farmland in Pirojpur have gone under water, forcing farmers to incur large losses.
Around 5,000 people in 38 villages in Koyra, compelled to leave their homes last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, could still not return home as of yesterday.
Entire areas including farmland, homes and other structures of these villages are still submerged. Road communications in these villages are completely suspended with people moving from one place to another on foot and by boat.
The worst-affected villages include Dashalia, Shimlarait, Megherait, Joypur, Loka, Antabunia, Dawara, Mothbari, Phultala, Gobindopur, and Sreerampur.
"I, along with other family members, took shelter at the cyclone centre as my house went under water on Tuesday night. We are still living here as our homes are still submerged," said Nitish Sana, a resident of Uttor Mothbari village.
Furthermore, people are suffering from a lack of food and drinking water. However, government officials claimed that they have allocated Tk 3 lakh, 10 tonnes of rice, and 700 packets of dry food for affected people in the area.
GM Abdullah Al Mamun, chairman of the Maharajpur union in Koyra upazila, said around 6,000 families' homes had been flooded in his union. Fish enclosures on around 5,000 bighas of land have been washed away.
On a visit to the spot yesterday, it was seen that several hundreds of people were voluntarily working to repair the embankments breached by the surges in these villages.
Locals demanded immediate government initiatives to repair the embankments.
However, Md Rashidur Rahman, executive engineer of Water Development Board in Satkhira, said initiatives have been taken to repair the dam in Koyra.
In Patuakhali, several hundred people of Kalapara upazila are passing difficultdays on the embankments with no significant shelter or food.
"Our house has gone under water. Our cattle have died and fish in our ponds have been washed away. Now, we are living in a polythene-made hut here," said Hamida Begum, 55, a resident of Chandupara village, who took shelter at a nearby dam.
Another victim Dalia Begum, 45, of the same village who also took shelter at the same dam, said, "We cannot cook here. Some of our relatives are sending food for us."
Contacted, Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abu Hasnat Mohammad Shahidul Haque said relief materials have already been sent for affected people.
In Pirojpur, crops on vast areas of farmland have been submerged by tidal water following Cyclone Yaas.
Farmers of Mathbaria upazila have been badly affected by the cyclone.
Shahidul Islam, a farmer of Togra village in Indurkani upazila, said "I planted Aush paddy. But all of these have been rotten by tidal water."
Another farmer Abdus Sattar of Charakhali village in the same upazila said, "A huge amount of lady's fingers in my vegetable garden have been damaged as these have been submerged."
"Over 80 percent of Aush paddy seedbeds and around 50 percent of summer vegetables have been damaged in the upazila as saline water flooded the fields," said Md Shawkat Hosain, Mathbaria upazila agriculture officer.
[Our correspondents from the respective districts contributed to the story]
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