BARISHAL, June 1: At least, 35 rice warehouses became submerged due to Remal impact in the district.
Each warehouse witnessed bulging of one metric ton (MT) to ten MT of varieties of rice.
According to primary estimate of warehouse levels, the damage will be worth about Tk 1 crore.
These warehouses are located at Line Road and Chawl (Rice) Patti in the city.
Entire city went under water triggered by heavy rainfall and tidal surge; areas which never witnessed submergence went under knee-deep water.
Bulged rice varieties included Minicat, Paijam, Swarna, Bullet, Atash, Chinigura and others.
Traders said, these bulged rice could not be consumed; the rice can be feed of fishes if these are taken away within one/two days.
The rice varieties have been inconsumable, said Shibu Saha, proprietor of Sree Gopal Bhandar at Chawl Patti.
This cyclone time the tidal surge had been so higher that it submerged fish enclosures, ponds and fisheries, he added.
He further said, "All fishes went out; now like us fish farmers are sitting with their hands on heads."
At present, affected warehouse owners are trying at their own level to dry their bulged rice, he added. But it is doubtful, whether 20 per cent of the rice could be protected, he maintained.
Along with rice, flour, fine flour, sugar, pulse and many items of grocery and confectionary shops got damaged.
While talking to this correspondent of The Daily Observer, traders said, "About 300 MT of rice got bulged and damaged; if the government does something for us, we can survive."
Proprietor of Messrs Barishal Khadya Bhandar Swapon Kumar Dutta said, "Never in the past, water entered warehouses; this time the record has been broken; each warehouse suffered a setback of bulging of one to ten MT of rice; the price of the rice will be over Taka one crore."
Businessman of that wholesale rice market Judishthir Notto and proprietor of Badhan Traders said, tidal water entered his godown, damaging rice of Tk 7 lakh.
General Secretary of Rice Traders Association Faruq Alam said, these traders took bank loans and credit loans to run their businesses; now many of them will lose even their capitals.
President of Barishal Chamber of Commerce & Industry Alhajj Saidur Rahman Rintu said, there is no alternative to bank loan at lower interest rate to recoup the damage.
He said, after drying the bulged rice, traders will try to give these to poultry farms; it may not help them overcome the losses fully, but they can be able to reduce the size of the loss.
Now affected traders expressed their anger at the mass media. They said, if the rice price is increased by Taka one, the mass media and administration take stand against them, but at this danger time, they are not seen active.
