Over 13 lakh hit by floods in 4 districts

More than 41,000 houses are wrecked by the recent floods, which have affected around 1.35 million people in four districts of Chattogram division, according to a rough estimation given by the government.

Some 1,125 kilometres of roads and highways have been damaged while crops on 73,908 hectares of land have been destroyed during the weeklong floods in the districts.

Besides, some 704 educational institutions have been damaged either fully or partially.

This picture of the havoc wreaked by the floods was culled from data given by different government offices of the flood-hit districts -- Chattogram, Bandarban, Cox's Bazar and Rangamati.

Torrential rain and tidal water have caused the sudden deluge in the southeastern region of the country since the beginning of this month.

The floods also claimed 59 lives: 22 in Cox's Bazar, 20 in Chattogram, 10 in Bandarban and 7 in Rangamati.

In Bandarban, the floods have damaged at least 6,579 houses and 200 kilometres of roads and highways, and halted academic activities at 127 schools, according to the District Relief and Rehabilitation Office (DRRO).

"It will take over Tk 20 lakh to repair the schools in our districts," said Abdullah Al Mamun, district primary education officer in Bandarban.

Over 71,000 farmers are affected by the flood as their crops on around 8,853 hectares of land have been damaged, said Md Hasan Ali, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Bandarban.

The damaged crop may roughly be worth Tk 310 crore, he says.

"As road communications in many areas in our districts are still cut off, it will take us more time to get the accurate picture of the damages caused by the flood," said Sheik Abdullah Al Mamun, assistant commissioner of Bandarban.

Visting different areas in Bandarban yesterday, it was found that the flood-hit people – still without access to pure drinking water and electricity in some remote areas -- are yet to return to their normal lives.

In Cox's Bazar, the worst hit upazila is Chakaria where people in all the 18 unions of the upazila are badly affected and still struggling to overcome the damages.

In the district, the flood harmed around 4.8 lakh people, damaged crops on 15,638 hectares of land, washed away 1,752 water bodies and 1,832 fish enclosures, and destroyed 59 kilometres of highways and 80 kilometres of rural roads, according to a report by the Cox's Bazar District Administration.

Some 236 educational institutions were also hit in the district.

Nijam Uddin from Petuabazar of Chakaria said flood water came so fast that they could not save their food and furniture. "Water stayed for three days, leaving our tin-shed house so damaged that it is still unfit to live in."

In Chattogram, the flood has badly affected at least 850,235 people, and damaged  28,070 houses and nearly 723 kilometres of roads. It has also claimed 22 lives in the district, according to DRRO Saifullah Majumder.

Agricultural land and produce worth Tk 186.30 crore and fisheries resources worth Tk 69.38 crore were damaged, he added.

Chandanaish is one of the worst flood-affected areas in Chattogram.

Contacted, Mahmuda Begum, upazila nirbahi officer of Chandanaish, said, "We have been preparing a list of flood-affected people. We will distribute relief assistance to them in the next week."

Tofail Islam, divisional commissioner of Chattogram, said, "We have already issued directives to all the officials concerned to provide necessary assistance to the food victims."

In Rangamati, some 6,812 houses and over 62 kilometres of roads have been damaged.

"The highways under our department have been damaged on 44 spots in Rangamati," said Sabuj Chakma, executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department in Rangamati.

At least 71 government primary schools have been damaged in the district.

"Some areas are still waterlogged. Damage assessment works are going on. The district administration is distributing relief assistance among the flood-hit people," said Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mosaraf Hossain Khan.

[Our correspondents from Chattogram, Bandarban, Cox's Bazar and Rangamati contributed to the report]