Hailstorm victims cry for succour

Fazlul Haq and his family members give a bleak look, standing in front of their house, badly damaged by the hailstorm on April 21, at Shahargopinpur village in Ghatail upazila under Tangail district.
Photo: STAR

Thousands of people hit by asevere hailstorm on April 21 are still crying for shelter and help in two upazilas.
Hundreds of families lost almost everything including their dwelling houses and crops but a few of them got only 10kg of rice so far.
At least 15,000 families in 67 villages under eight unions in Ghatail and Sakhipur upazilas were hit by a 20-munite-long hailstorm, leaving a trail of devastation all over, sources said.
Around 10,000 houses were damaged fully or partially in the two upazilas by the big chunks of hails. Of the damaged houses, about 6,000 are in Ghatail upazila and the rest 4,000 in Sakhipur upazila.
Besides, boro paddy on around 10,000 hectares of land, around 50 educational institutions, 35 poultry firms and dozens of mosques were also fully or partially damaged by the severe hailstorm. Moreover, mango orchards on 150 hectares of land, jackfruit on 100 hectares, banana in 250 hectares and vegetables of 500 hectares were fully damaged by the hails.
Osman Khan, deputy director in Tangail Agriculture Extension Department, said they were preparing lists of damages in the two upazilas so that the victims can get government help.
While visiting the affected villages in Ghatail upazila a couple of days ago, this correspondent saw most of the victims struggling to re-construct their houses while many families living under the open sky.
Fazlul Haque Fazal, 50, of the worst affected Shargopinpur village said the villagers had not seen such dreadful hailstorm in their life.
"The hails, some weighing about 1 to 2 kg, have fully damaged my two tin-roof dwelling houses. As I could not repair those, I along with seven members of my family are still living under the open sky", he said.
Fazal's wife Lutfa Begum, 45, said her five-member family got only 10kg of rice from the union parishad office.
Nuru Miah, Shorab Ali and Belayet Hossain of Ramdevpur village in the same upazila said that a local Awami League leader gave several tin sheets to the victims at the village but they did not get a single piece.
Mohammad Kamal Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer in Ghatail, told this correspondent that at least 7,000 to 8,000 families under Dhalapara, Rasulpur, Sandhanpur and Deopara in the upazila were severely affected by the hailstorm.
"We had 75 tonnes of rice, and Tk 2 lakh cash and we have already distributed those among the victim families," he added.
In Sakhipur upazila, the severe hailstorm lashed at least 30 villages under four unions -- Kakrajan, Kalomegha, Gazaria and Kalia -- during the same period.
Jaban Ali and Osman Gani of Bhuaid village in Kakrajan union said they lost everything including dwelling houses and crops but yet to get help from any quarter.
Nurul Haque of Kirtankhola village said 300 birds of his poultry farm died in the storm, leaving him utterly helpless.
Rafiqul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer in Sakhipur, said they had already distributed 40 tonnes of rice and Tk 2 lakh cash for house construction and other purposes to the victims.
Shawkat Sikder, upazila parishad chairman in Sakhipur, said the devastating hailstorm damaged several thousand houses, crops on vast tracts of land, poultry farms and educational institutions.
"Only a few poor families got some rice. But they need sufficient help for reconstruction of their houses," he added.
Contacted, Deputy Commissioner in Tangail M Bazlul Karim Chowdhury said, more help will be provided to the affected people as early as possible,
"The disaster management minister will visit the affected area soon," he added.