Battered by flood, people of Sunamganj demand relief

Hundreds of flood-affected people in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj have been waiting for relief materials from the administration.

Many families have taken refuge in the three temporary flood shelters in the upazila as onrush of water from the upstream and heavy rain inundated their houses and marooned tens of thousands of people.

Chhatak upazila administration has distributed dry food among the flood victims.

However, these are not sufficient and many people did not get food, alleged some flood-affected people.

Farmers are also facing a shortage of fodder and there is also an acute crisis of pure drinking water in the shelters, they said.

Only the flood victims who have taken shelter at the educational institutions are getting relief, they alleged.

People who have taken shelter in other places and marooned people are not getting food and cash assistance from the administration, they said.

Setara Begum, wife of fisherman Abdul Matin, who has taken shelter at Takipur Govt Primary School, said she did not have food for the last three days and did not receive any kind of relief from anyone.

Meanwhile, classes at around 180 government primary schools in Berajpur, Tajpur, Gobindganj, Noapara, Alampur, Krishnanagar, Anandanagar, Banglabazar, Lakseshwar, Bagin, Khidura, Dashgarh, Khagamura, Kathalpur, Goaspur, Raoli, Jahirpur, Mondolpur, Bhatgaon, Jhamak, Lakhansum, Kaleswari, Khidrakapan, Kaitkona, Shibnagar, Bilpar, Mollaata, Gobindanagar, Abdul Jabbar, Tajpur, Ujirpur, Rampur, Sikandarpur and Madhabpur of the upazila have been suspended as the school premises went under floodwater.

Mamunur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Chhatak upazila, said they have already completed all necessary preparations to face the natural disaster.

A control room has been opened to monitor the overall flood situation, he said.

“I visited flood-affected areas in Islampur and Nuarai in the morning,” he added.