It has been eight years since cyclone Sidr hit southern parts of the country, but thousands of people in coastal area still feel the brunt of the super cyclone as many infrastructures, including embankments and houses, damaged during the turbulence are yet to be repaired.
On November 15, 2007, Cyclone Sidr swept over the southwestern districts of the country that left over 3,300 people killed, 55,000 injured and rendered thousands of people homeless.
People living in Barguna, Patuakhali, Bagerhat and Pirojpur were the worst victims of the cyclone. Moreover, people living in Jhalkati, Satkhira, Khulna, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Barisal and Bhola were partially affected by the storm.
People who live near the Bay of Bengal have to live with natural calamities such as cyclone and flood. But coastal people said resilient infrastructures which were supposed to be ensured for them setting up cyclone centres are yet to be implemented in most areas of the southern districts.
In Barguna, 1,501 people were killed in the storm, according the government data. But unofficial data said over 2,000 people were killed and 280,50 injured when the storm ravaged the coastal belt of the country.
At least 213,461 houses, crops on 243,393 hectares of land were damaged and 30,499 cattle died by the storm in the district.
To rehabilitate cyclone-affected people, the government took initiatives to build 817 cyclone centres in Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Pirojpur, Barguna, Jhalakati, Patuakhali, Barisal and Bhola districts. But local sources said construction of about 350 centres have been completed so far.
Local people in Barguna alleged that most of the rehabilitation houses were built in risky areas such as charland. These rehabilitation centres are inundated during tidal surge in the bay.
Shah Alam, a resident in Asrayan Barak in Barguna, told the Dhaka Tribune that they always remained in panic when water intrudes into their houses.
“Apart from tidal surge, torrential rain also inundates vast areas in coastal districts,” he said.
Ayesha Begum, a resident in Burirchar area, said: “We are living in government-made with risk as these houses are inundated during tidal surge. Sometimes we cannot feed our children as we cannot cook due to inundation.”
Deputy Commisioner Mir Jahirul Islam said the government had built houses to rehabilitate Sidr-affected people. But the rehabilitation houses were out of the preview of embankment as those were built in char areas.
He also assured that he would look into the matter and try to take prompt measures in this regards.