Editor's Pick

Dhaka: How a city was planned to drown

12 July 2026, 17:12 PM Big Picture

Salinity and the unseen health burden in coastal Bangladesh

12 July 2026, 23:55 PM Big Picture

How Bangladesh should respond to China’s proposed corridor

12 July 2026, 00:00 AM Geopolitical Insights

When rain turns Dhaka's commute into a second job

9 July 2026, 14:28 PM Monsoon Misery

Bangladesh’s wheat imports surge to all-time high

12 July 2026, 00:00 AM Economy

<i>Too meagre for repair of damaged embankments</i>

9 June 2009, 18:00 PM

NATIONAL

Star National Desk

The government has allocated only 2,000 tonnes of rice worth about Tk 4 crore for repair of 284-km flood control embankment damaged by cyclone Aila in Patuakhali district against the demand for Tk 51 crore by Water Development Board (WDB). “We had earlier sent several letters to the authorities concerned demanding Tk 51 crore. The allocation is too poor to meet the need. We have again sought more allocation to repair the damaged embankment,” said Md Jahir Uddin, executive engineer of Patuakhali WDB. Meanwhile, cyclone Aila washed away fish and shrimp in enclosures and hatcheries in Shyamnagar, Assassuni, Kaliganj, Tala and Debhata upazilas under Satkhira district. Of the embankment, 48.36km was damaged fully while 236.36km partially in seven upazilas of Patuakhali, according to our correspondent. WDB sources said the storm damaged 15.236 km embankment fully and 70.86km partly in Galachipa upazila, 8.28km fully and 51 km partly in Kalapara upazila, 2.66 km fully and 32 km partly in Sadar upazila, 7km fully and 15.50 km partly in Mirzagonj upazila, 7.76km fully and 30.80km partly in Dumki upazila. Sources in Satkhira district fisheries department said the May 25 cyclone washed away about 7118 shrimp enclosures on 26,030 hectares of land and 4031 ponds on 428 hectares of land in the district, reports our correspondent. According to preliminary estimate, shrimp worth about Tk 93.21 crore from enclosures, fish worth about Tk. 26.72 crore from ponds and fish fries worth about Tk 3.90 crore from hatcheries were washed away. District fisheries department officials said the loss incurred by cyclone Aila in coastal upazilas in the district will cast an adverse impact on shrimp exports and also on fish supply to the markets. Sources said fishing inputs, including nets and boats, worth about Tk 39.39 crore were also damaged by the twister.