Though floodwaters are receding, marks of devastation are apparent in the port city of Chittagong.
Some 50km of roads across 41 wards of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and crops on over 50,000 hectares of land in the district have been badly damaged by flooding.
Moreover, 2.19km of drains and 2km of footpath have been damaged, according to the CCC and the district administration.
The topmost layer of several roads in areas including Bandar, Halishahar, Muradpur to Oxygen, Bayezid Bostami, Khatiberhat, Jakir Hossain, Jamal Khan and Omar Ali Matobbor under the CCC are damaged.
Footpaths of the city’s Kazir Dewri to Love Lane Road and Jubilee Road were submerged, resulting in potholes and causing immense public suffering.
Munirul Huda, additional chief engineer at the CCC, said Tk60 crore will be sought from the local government ministry to repair the damaged roads.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension’s (DAE) Chittagong office, crops, including Aush paddy and vegetables, on 165 hectares of land in the city’s Panchlaish, Double Mooring and Patenga areas have been damaged.
Seedbeds on 32,719 hectares of lands of Aman paddy and 6,567 hectares of crops have been damaged in 15 upazilas of the district. Aush paddy was supposed to be harvested at the end of this month.
Gumai Bil, which is located in Rangunia upazila and considered a major grain source of Chittagong, was under water for a week due to the flood.
Dr Aurbinda Kumar Roy, additional director of DAE Chittagong, said they estimate that crops on over 50,000 hectares of land have been damaged by the flood.
People of the port city and district experienced unprecedented flooding from August 4 to 7 after torrential rainfall started on August 1. A total of 664mm of rain was recorded during this time, breaking the previous records of the last 30 years.
The water of the Sangu, Matamuhuri, Dalu, Karnaphuli and Halda rivers surged, flooding the city and district.
Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman said the extent of damage caused by the flood is estimated to be Tk135 crore, and efforts are underway to collect data in this regard.
