Thousands of people affected by cyclone ‘Aila’ in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira have been forced to migrate to upper cities after the cyclone last year made them both homeless and workless.
Their lives are now under severe threat and face uncertainity and at the same time population density in other cities being higher, a field level investigation revealed.
The victims alleged of not taking proper and timely measures to recover the damages done by the cyclone on May 25 last year.
Houses of the victims were sunk by the terrible Aila and water surge last year, and remain at the same situation till now. Even, their income sources were destroyed, forcing them to leave their homes to survive.
Their major income sources are: making ‘Gher’, shrimp cultivation, catching fishes from the rivers and collecting wood and honey from the mangrove forest Sundarban. After Aila hit the area, country’s southern belt, all shrimps went away to rivers from ‘Gher’. As a result, shrimp cultivators become loser that they have ever seen. They are yet to rebuild Gher, resulting their income source remaining closed.
Just after the cyclone, the poor, who lived through catching and selling fishes, earned some money as the rivers at that time were full of shrimps came out from Gher, local sources said.
The people now cannot collect honey and wood from Sundarban as tigers there become somewhat aggressive after Aila. Even, tigers have already eaten some men, according to the sources.
Md Idris Alam, who along with his family members migrated from Gabura union of the upazila to Mohespur of Jhenaidah district, told this Reporter, “It is very painful when we leave my home. But we were bound to do so, as our houses are remain sunk into water till now. We have no income source to survive there.” He said, “Nearly half of the victims left the area.”
Md Nazrul Gazi of Dumuria village under Gabura union told The New Nation, “At least one-third victims of the area left their homes as they have no income needed to survive there.”
Nazrul, who is also an official of Family Planning programme, said the people firstly used to get relief from different NGOs and the government. But, now they didn’t not get it for about six months, making their livelihood so miserable.
Expressing frustration to this Reporter, Aklima Khatun, wife of Hadiuzzaman, who along with his family members migrated from Gabura union to Khulna, said, “There is no income source in Gabura. So, we were bound to come here.”
Aklima’s family have no interest to return to their main land, rather want to live in Khulna, if they can buy a piece of land there.
Like them, thousands of homeless and workless people affected by Aila migrated to other upper cities. Few of them expressed hopes to return to their main land, if the Government or concerned authorities help them financially, said the sources.
Some other migrated victims of Gabura union are: Ali Newaj son of Matiar Gazi, Ayub Gazi, son of Manir Gazi, Mahfuza Khatun, wife of Abdur Rauf, Shahid Gazi, son of Olimuddin Gazi, Khadiza Khatun, wife of Maniruzzaman and Nurul Haque and Billal Gazi, sons of Sohrab.
Ruma Khatun, a student of class II and daughter of Nurul Haque, along with the family members migrated to Ambita village of Khulna. She said, “My school in Satkhira was sunk in water and in Khulna I cannot go to school for financial crisis.” Nurul Haque is a rickshaw puller.
The victims are yet to get the government grant of Tk 20 thousand per affected family due to reportedly complexity of ‘faulty list’ of victims, though Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 23 inaugurated check distribution among the victims and assured to give the money for house construction by July 31.
Shyamnagar upazila Chairman Maulana Abdul Bari yesterday told The New Nation, “We have already deposited to the concerned banks Tk 11 crore for Gabura union and Tk 8 crore for Padmapukur union under the government nearly one and half months ago”.
“But, the victims cannot get the money as a Writ petition, filed by Shymnagar MP AHM Golam Reza with the High Court alleging of making fault lists, is pending,” Bari added and hoped of resolving the problem immediately.
The Aila and tidal surge hit the southern part of the country on May 25 last year, leaving thunders of people dead and thousand of people homeless and workless.
