Aila damages 150 km dykes

Repair needs Tk 430cr
The government has allocated Tk 116 crore for repairing damaged embankments and the work began on Tuesday, reports UNB.
Approximately Tk 430 crore would be needed to repair all the damaged dams. A total of 150-km embankments were damaged by the cyclone Aila.
Army personnel will be engaged in repairing embankments of Ashashuni, Shyamnagar and Shoronkhola while the remaining embankments will be repaired by Water Development Board, Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque informed the newsmen on Tuesday.
Razzaque, quoting Prime Minister”s directive, said the government does not need foreign aid now but it wants financial support from the donors in implementing various projects to shield the coast against natural disaster in the days ahead to avert recurring colossal losses.
Earlier, PM Sheikh Hasina in the cabinet meeting on Monday said the government would address the present crisis with internal resources.
Dr Razzaque in the fourth press conference on cyclone Aila at his office Tuesday said they would sit together with Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Finance Ministry to decide the ways of seeking foreign aid for the long-and mid-term precautionary projects.
Earlier, the Food Minister backtracked on its stance against seeking foreign aid to tackle the cyclone aftermath and felt the necessity of calling for donors” assistance to foot a huge bill for feeding and rehabilitating millions of hard-hit people. Dr Razzaque informed that the PM assigned three ministers and an adviser to coordinate relief distribution and rehabilitation activities in the affected districts. “They”ve already started their works in respective district.”
The minister said that the government would continue to support Aila-hit areas until fully recovery.
Analyzing the latest data, the minister said they have so far identified 179 bodies and that there was none missing.
“Some 64 upazilas of 11 districts have been affected by the Aila and eight upazilas – Shyamnagar, Ashashuni, Koira, Dakop, Charfashan, Monpura, Golachipa and Kolapara are the worst affected,” Dr Razzaque said.
He informed that 7,153 people were injured in the cyclone.
The Minister said that the army is working in 25 affected areas, Bangladesh Navy in 10 affected areas and Coastguard in three.
“Meanwhile, Air Force is distributing relief materials through its seven helicopters in the remote areas,” he said.
On the other hand, 34 medical teams, 24 from army and 10 from Bangladesh Navy, are also engaged in providing healthcare services to the affected people.
He said the government pulled its highest efforts to overcome the post-cyclone critical situation using its internal mechanisms.
Razzaque said the government has allocated GR Rice 15,150 metric tones, GR cash Tk 3.10 crore while Tk 17.55 crore for rehabilitation.
Another amount of Tk 20 crore will be allocated for rehabilitating the affected people and rebuilding their houses.
As per the calculation of Local Government Ministry, a total of 736-km roads were damaged fully for which Tk 103 crore will be spent for repairs, Dr Razzaque said.
Some 10,2,215 domestic animals perished in the cyclone. Standing crops on some 65,033 acres of land were damaged completely while on 240,665 acres partially by the devastating cyclone.
Besides, about 241,423 houses were fully damaged while 351,955 partially.

Courtesy of The News Today