Post Sidr Rehabilitation
Over two lakh families still live in tents in Patuakhali
A family at Charkhali village in Mirzaganj is still living in a tent erected beside their battered house, yet to be rebuilt.Photo: STAR
With the monsoon adding to their sufferings, over two lakh Sidr-hit families still live in tents in Patuakhali as the cyclone damaged their houses. Government initiative to rebuild the damaged houses is too inadequate, the victims said. On the other hand, house building for the victims with assistance from 13 donor countries is also progressing very slowly, they said. Khabir Howlader, 40, whose wife and daughter were swept away by tidal waves along with the house, lives in a tent at Charkhali in Mirzaganj upazila. “I appealed to the local administration for help to rebuild my house but in vain. Rain water enters by tent”, Khabir said. Like Khabir, Abdul Maleq, Rashid Howlader, Rabeys Begum, and Dulu Begum have the same complaint, like many others. “Over 1000 houses were damaged by Sidr in the village. Muslim Aid, an NGO, is building only 400 houses”, said local Union Parishad (UP) Mobarak Ali Munshi. Mirzagonj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdul Wadud, when contacted, said two more Ashrayan projects will be built in the upazila with financial help from Japanese government to accommodate about 1000 shelterless families. Sources at the district relief and rehabilitation office (DRRO) said they distributed Tk 40.5 crore and 2,262 bundles of CI sheets among Sidr victims to repair their houses. But many victims did not get the assistance as the allotment was too little to the demand. The victims said the government house building assistance was too insufficient. Each affected family got up to two bundles of CI sheet and Tk 3,000 to Tk 5,000, which is too meager for building a house now, they said. According to official sources, 2,200 bundles of CI sheets and Tk 24.27 crore were distributed in Patuakhali district till December 30 while over two lakh families lost their houses. Thirteen donor countries and agencies are building 23,206 houses in seven upazilas of the district. Of them, Saudi government is building 8,500 houses in seven upazilas, Islamic Relief, Bangladesh 3,346, Ahsania Mission 6,300, Uniliver 75, Humanity First Canada 200, British Red Crescent 1, 000, Narayarganj Lions Club 25, Habitat 3, 000, Brac 200, Muslim Aid 400, Caritas 50 and Labaid is building 30 houses in Patuakhali Sadar upazila. Local administration sources said about 50 per cent of the houses have been handed over to the victims and the rest will be completed within this month.
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