The impact of Cyclone Fani, while not as severe as initial projections suggested, has left parts of the country in ruins.
The National Disaster Response Coordination Centre reports that 155,832 acres of farmland were damaged by the storm. Even though the storm significantly weakened after making landfall in India, it cut across the country’s southwest and northeast regions.
Of cropland, about 1,830 acres were completely ruined while 153,872 acres were partially damaged, according to initial estimates from 26 districts.
The 1,666,043 people who sheltered at cyclone centres returned home by Sunday.
Barisal erosion intensifies
Erosion of the Arialkha and Palardi Rivers increased after Cyclone Fani in the Char Diashur area of Gournadi upazila in Barishal. Nearby croplands and a launch terminal are at risk of collapsing into the rivers.
Khaleda Nasrin, Gournadi upazila nirbahi officer, said locals will be housed at cyclone shelters if need be. She also said the upazila administration will be providing food and emergency relief to affected people.
Bogra roads severed by heavy rains
After two days of heavy rains, a major road in Bogra’s Dhunot has been torn up and is utterly unusable. The road, barely 20 years old, was used by hundreds of thousands of people, now forced to make an arduous journey on foot, or remain stranded.
Flash floods in Sunamganj threaten harvest
In Sunamganj, the Boulai River swelled rapidly on Saturday and overwhelmed the haor embankments, flooding croplands.
Despite the best efforts of locals to contain the flooding, Halir Haor and Shanir Haor that have close to 50,000 acres of farmland, are both expected to be entirely under water within 10 to 15 days.
Local farmers said they managed to save some crops, but most of it has been compromised.
UP Member Khokon Mia said the focus is not on harvesting the crops, but to secure crops already harvested.
Homeless in Noakhali
Families from Chars in Noakhali have been rendered homeless in the wake of Cyclone Fani. The storm blew away their houses, compelling them to find shelter wherever they could.
Local administration is providing them with relief, and it is hoped that the Prime Minister’s Office will assist with rehabilitation.
Chandpur sees blackouts
The storm ruined houses, farmlands, and power lines in Chandpur. Local administration has already begun distributing relief to the affected and has asked for further assistance from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
Local offices of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board said 20 power poles have been uprooted, 34 transformers and 141 meters have short-circuited, leaving over 250,000 houses without any power.
Our correspondents Ranajit Chandra Kuri, Noakhali; Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra; Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal; Ibrahim Rony, Chandpur; Himadri Shaked Bhodra, Sunamganj contributed to this report.
