SM Shahidul Islam, Satkhira
It's been 34 days since super cyclone Amphan hit the country. The whole coastal area is still floating in water. 48 villages of Pratapnagar Union, Sriula Union, Anulia Union and Sadar Union of Asashuni Upazila of Satkhira have been submerged due to the impact of Amphan.
Super Cyclone Amphan has devastated the coastal people by wiping out houses, roads, crop fields, ponds and water reservoirs. Roads have been destroyed. The despairing faces of the people show that they are helpless due to the devastation of Amphan.
A devastating picture was seen in Pratapnagar, Kurikahunia and Sreepur villages of Pratapnagar union of Asashuni upazila, 50 km away from Satkhira, city one month and four days after the super cyclone Amphan.
Convener of Satkhira District Citizens Committee Prof Anisur Rahim, Member Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Joint-Member Secretary Ali Nur Khan Babul, Member District Jasad President Sheikh Obaidus Sultan Bablu, District General Secretary of Bangladesh Jasad Prof Idris Ali, Azad Hossain Belal, Nityananda Sarkar and other leaders visited the flooded area on Tuesday in an engine driven boat from Pratapnagar road.
Abul Kashem Moral, 56, of Sreepur village, said he lived in a mud house on the banks of the Kopothakho River. He had a happy family with his children and grandchildren. After cyclone Aila, the embankment was broken and village after village were washed away. They made constant efforts to mend the situation.
In the meantime, the embankment has been broken by Amphan's blow and houses have been washed away, roofs of houses have been blown away and everything that was in the houses has been washed away in the flood waters. People have no place to stay. There is no potable water. No food. There is no sanitation system. There is no place to bury even when people die.
The villagers said that the houses of 20 of their families have disappeared in Kopothakho. Now there is scaffolding on the water. They live on this platform. Cooking, eating, urinating is all done on the scaffolding. Pratapnagar market is three kilometers away from the village. To buy vegetables they have to travel by boat. If someone is sick, they have to go to the doctor on the shore.
This situation is not only in Sreepur village, but also in villages like Kurikahunia, Sanatankati, Drishtinandan, Chandarati, Banyatla, Harishkhali, Chakla, Kola, Kalyanpur, Pratapnagar, Ruiyar Beel, Subhadrakati. Pratapnagar UP Chairman Sheikh Zakir Hossain said the total population of Pratapnagar Union is 35,755. The number of families is 7,350. The amount of agricultural land is 875 hectares. Of this, the amount of damaged agricultural land is 800 hectares.
The amount of damaged fisheries project is 1920 hectares. The number of damaged cattle is 5,315. 40 kilometers of roads have been damaged. The water development board's embankment has been damaged by about 40 km.
Agriculture and fisheries resources have been completely destroyed. Poultry farm losses are 99 percent. Meanwhile, Anulia UP chairman Alamgir Alam Liton said his union was broken up by 13 points. About 200 families have been affected in Bishat, Nayakhali, Kakbashia and Manipuri villages.
Meanwhile, the situation is similar in Asashuni Upazila Sadar and Sriula Union. At least 48 villages in these areas are floating in the water.
