Inadequate relief in Ctg district

Local public representatives of flood-affected areas in Chittagong have been struggling to provide aid to the victims as they have reportedly received inadequate allocation from the district administration.

Thousands of people have been suffering immensely as many villages in the district became submerged with water flowing down from hills and rivers overflowing after incessant rainfall in the last few days.

Satkania, Chandanaish, Hathazari, Patiya, Banshkhali and Rangunia are among the most affected upazilas.

Many people were forced to take shelters in local mosques, schools, colleges, madrasas and railway stations.  

Zafar Ali Hero, commander of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, Chandanaish upazila unit said he has not yet seen any relief works anywhere in the upazila.

Chairman of Dohazari union parishad in Chandanaish Abdullah Al Noman Begh said around 30,000 people in his union needed aid but he only received a ton of rice for distribution.

"At best I can distribute the rice among 100 people," he said.

In Satkania upazila, around 80 villages in nine unions have gone under water leaving 80,000 people marooned.

Sarwar Uddin Ahmed, chairman of Amilaish union parishad of the upazila, said around 3,500 families have become homeless and 500 acres cropland went under water in the union.

In Dharmapur union parishad of Satkania, Chairman Ilias Chowdhury said, "We have only received 500kg rice. What can we do with so little rice?"

Sanjida Sharmin, upazila nirbahi officer of Chandanaish, said the district administration is unable to provide aid to all the victims. She urged local affluent people to step forward and assist in the relief works.

"So far, we have allocated 14 tonnes of rice and Tk 2.30 lakh in cash in the upazila," she added.     

The situation is more or less the same in other upazilas. In Hathazari, around 100 villages under 10 unions have been submerged.

Over two lakh people have lost property to the flood, said Mahbubul Alam Chowdhury, chairman of Hathazari upazila parishad.

"We need 45 tonnes of rice and Tk 10 lakh but the district administration has allocated just three tonnes of rice and Tk 10,000," he said.