Flood-affected people in Cox’s Bazar cry for food and drinking water

UNB, Cox’s Bazar :

Up to 2.5 lakh flood-hit people in Cox’s Bazar district are facing shortage of food and drinking water even if the district administration and public representatives are reaching relief to the affected areas.

The floods, caused by four days of incessant rains, left 21 people dead and caused extensive damage to crops and roads across 51 unions in Ramu, Cox’s Bazr Sadar, Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas of the coastal district.

The administration said it will assess the extent of the damages as flood waters began receding on Saturday. The affected people, meanwhile, have reported scarcity of pure drinking water and shortage of food.

According to the district administration, Of the 71 unions and four municipalities in the district 51 unions and 525 villages of a municipality got flooded.

Administrative authorities and local representatives are trying their best to help the flood affected people by providing, drinking water, cooked and dried food and other relief.

Deputy Commissioner of the district Md Mamunur Rashid said 300 MT rice and Tk 20 lakh has been allocated by the government for the flood affected people.

The allocation will be increased in phases, he said.

Primary estimate of loss from the flood is worth Tk 32 crore , said the authorities.

Once the flood waters recede the actual picture of damage will be known and the damaged health services, roads, agriculture, fisheries, salt and protective dams will be restored, said DC Mamunur Rashid.

Already 2,000 packets of dried food and Tk 15 lakh have been distributed among flood-affected people, he said.