Flood water started receding on Saturday, but flood-affected people in Cox’s Bazar are still suffering for inadequate relief specially for pure drinking water.
Last week, about 670 villages went under water due to flash floods caused by monsoon rain and rise in water levels of the major rivers.
Ajgor Ali, a resident of Nondakhali village under Sadar upazila, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was almost starving with his seven-member family.
“I have seven members in my family, but I got only one kilogram of Chira from the district administration in a week.”
Hazera Khatun, a resident of Ramu, said: “My homestead was inundated by the flood water and my two cows died after flood water intruded into my house. Now, I am living a sub-human life with my family members.” She said she had only got 500 grams of Chira.
Mujibullah, a resident of Ramu, urged the authorities concerned to provide sufficient relief to them as soon as possible.
People started returning back to their homesteads on Monday after flood water receeded, but water borne diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea and allergy have broken out in the flood affected areas. Vehicles started plying the Teknaf road and Marine drive on Monday, but many parts of these roads are still under water.
According to district administration, at least 15 people were killed in flash flood and landslides triggered by uninterrupted heavy rainfall in last five days. One person has remained missing.
About 4,000 betel leaf fields located in Ramu, Moheskhali, Ukhia, Chokoria, Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazila and Teknaf were inundated by flood water. Moreover, standing crops on a vast track of land were damaged by flood water.
Acting deputy commissioner Dr Anupam Saha told the Dhaka Tribune that eight medical teams were working in flood-affected areas to provide medical services to flood-affected people. “About 65,000 people took shelter in government shelter centre,” he said.
He said the district administration had already distributed 145 tonnes of rice, 145 sacks of Chira, 140 sacks of molasses and Tk11 lakh in cash among flood victims. He also acknowledged that relief was inadequate for flood-affected people.
He said they had informed higher authorities to provide adequate relief materials to ease suffering of flood victims.
Md Jahangir Alam, Cox’s Bazar relief officer, told the Dhaka Tribune that about 300-kilometre road had been damaged by the flood water.
