76 families marooned at Bagha Ashrayan project

BAGHA, RAJSHAHI, Sept 10:  Seventy-six families living at an Ashrayan project in Bagha, Rajshahi, have been stranded by floodwater for the past week, forcing them to live amid rising water and severe hardship.

The situation was seen at the Khanpur Nichpalashi Ashrayan Project in Gorgori Union, where the cluster of homes has been inundated.
Around 10am on Wednesday, September 9, an 80-year-old resident of House No. 24 approached journalists after hearing that they had arrived at the project.

Residents Shahida Begum of House No. 25, Santu Ali of House No. 15, Maleka Begum of House No. 33, Rashida Begum of House No. 30 and Pata Begum of House No. 41 also came forward.

“Brother, all of us here have been living in water for a week. No one has come forward to help us. We are struggling to survive amid the floodwater,” they said.

A little further inside the project, 70-year-old Monowara Begum was sitting on a chair on her veranda.

“My husband, Yasin Ali, died six months ago after suffering from respiratory problems. I have two daughters and four sons, and all of them are married. My sons look after me, but I have not received any government assistance,” she said.

Monowara said residents recently spotted a snake nearby, causing panic among them.

“We cannot sleep at night because we are afraid of snakes and insects,” she said.

Several other residents said they still had rice at home but were unable to cook as their kitchens had gone under water.

“We have rice in our houses, but we can hardly eat because the places where we cook are submerged. If dry food could be provided, it would ease our suffering,” they said.

According to local residents, the government constructed semi-pucca houses at the Khanpur Nichpalashi Ashrayan Project during the 2020-21 fiscal year at a cost of Tk 2.40 lakh per house. The beneficiaries were formally handed over ownership documents.

With no other place to live, they have been residing in the houses since then. Residents said floodwater had never entered the project in the past 16-17 years. But this year, a sudden rise in the Padma's water level has caused water to flow through the yards of the homes.

The residents, most of whom are poor, are now facing severe difficulties. Many work outside the area and depend on daily wages and assistance from others to make ends meet.

Bagha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Taki Faisal Talukder said the residents of the Ashrayan project were extremely poor and mostly lived from hand to mouth.

“They leave home in the morning for work and return in the evening. They remain outside throughout the day. Some local people have also informed me that floodwater has entered the cluster village of the Ashrayan project,” he said.

He said relief efforts for flood victims had already begun.

“Recently, 1.5 metric tonnes of rice was distributed among 100 families affected by river erosion and flooding in Chakrajapur Union, with each family receiving 15kg. The residents of the cluster village will also be provided assistance very soon,” he added.