Flood-hit people cannot rebuild houses for want of aid
Over two lakh flood-hit people in Tala, Sadar and Kalaroa upazilas of Satkhira district are still living under the open sky on high roads and in makeshift tents as they cannot reconstruct their collapsed houses for want of financial support from the government or non-governmental organisations.
Official sources said about 83,213 houses in the upazilas were either completely or partially damaged by the flood, leaving at least 2.3 lakh people homeless.
The villages in the upazila were inundated due to heavy rain and overflowing of silted Kabodak and Betna rivers on August 2. Since then the affected people have been living in makeshift tents on Satkhira-Khulna and Paikgachha-Khulna roads and on high roads, sources added.
Though reconstruction of the houses is the prime need of the flood-hit people, they don't have the ability to do the job by purchasing bamboo, straw, jute sticks and other building materials.
Some unscrupulous traders with a view to gaining windfall profit are bringing the house building items to village markets from far away and selling them at exorbitant prices, the flood affected people alleged.
“We need financial help from the government or non-governmental organisations to rebuild our ravaged houses,” they said.
Study of the flood affected students is also being hampered as they are residing with their parents in makeshift tents on the roads.
Contacted, acting Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Chandra Biswas said he has submitted a prayer to the higher authority seeking Tk 32 crore for rebuilding the flood-damaged houses in the three upazilas.
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