Feni faces uphill battle on road to rebuilding life a month after floods

Many affected residents still await government assistance for recovery

One month ago, when floodwaters began to invade homes, Beauty Rani Pal from Noapur village in Munshirhat union of Feni’s Fulgazi Upazila took refuge with her 7-year-old son and mother in a neighbour’s two-storey house.

After a few days, when the water receded, she returned home only to find her sole dwelling destroyed, leaving her with no choice but to seek shelter in another neighbour's home.

Beauty's husband, Uttam Kumar Seal, works as a labourer in Sonagazi Upazila. She lives at her father's house, and Uttam visits occasionally.

However, due to the floodwaters rising to chest level, Uttam could not reach her during this period.

Uttam's earnings are meagre, barely enough to sustain their daily needs. With no income during the floods, all of their savings have been depleted. Consequently, they cannot afford to repair their damaged home.

“The devastating flood destroyed our only home. Now, I have no money to rebuild a new one,” Beauty lamented.

The strong currents of the floodwaters left her with no means to salvage any belongings, and they lost their chickens and ducks as well. “I have never seen water like this in my life. My parents and grandparents have never witnessed such levels either,” she added.

Despite a month passing since the flooding, Beauty has yet to receive any assistance from government or private organisations. Her current struggle is to repair her house and find a place to live.

Similarly, Rozina Akhtar from Koroiya Uttar Para village has also lost her home and other possessions due to the floods.

With disappointment, Rozina lamented: “No government or private organisations have come to our aid since our homes were destroyed.”

She has sought financial assistance from the government to support her family's survival.

A month has passed since one of the worst floods in recent history hit Feni, yet victims are still grappling with the aftermath.

Nevertheless, they remain determined to fight back and rebuild their lives after losing everything.

While many roads remain in disrepair, numerous homeless individuals are staying by the roadside.

Alongside the ongoing relief efforts, the government, various NGOs, and volunteer organisations are stepping up for the rehabilitation of flood-affected residents.

Feni Deputy Commissioner Musammat Shahina Akter said, “Rehabilitation has become essential in the post-flood period. We have initiated comprehensive efforts to help victims recover from their losses.”

In several Upazilas of the district, work is under way to repair houses damaged by the flood, while in other areas, new Aman rice seedlings are being planted in the fields.

Many of the impoverished have lost their homes and are either sheltering on bridges or in neighbouring houses. In search of relief, many have been moving around, hoping for support.

In some areas, volunteers are distributing mattresses and pillows, while in others, they are providing school bags to young children.

When political parties offer to build homes for the homeless, other parties are providing free medical care.

Residents continue to struggle through damaged roads, with some attempting to repair them independently.

Despite the challenges, recovery efforts are ongoing across all six Upazilas in the district.

The devastating floods in Feni began on Aug 21 due to water from mountain runoff and heavy rainfall.

In the border areas of Parshuram and Fulgazi, over fifty breaches in the embankment of the Muhuri-Kahuya-Silonia rivers caused widespread inundation, submerging six Upazilas under nearly ten feet of water.

This left hundreds of thousands trapped in their homes, with a few succumbing due to their inability to escape.

Not only was road communication disrupted, but mobile connectivity was also lost for five days in the district.

The floods claimed the lives of 29 people across the six upazilas. The scale of the devastation was so extensive that many victims were unable to find soil for burials.

Some bodies were reportedly sent afloat on banana rafts with written notes.

For nearly two weeks, millions in Feni remained either trapped in their homes or living in shelters. Nearly 1.1 million people were affected, suffering damage to homes, agricultural lands, ponds, farms, and livestock.

Sondha Rani, a woman in her sixties from Tetoiya village in Sonagazi Upazila, said her home collapsed during the floods, and she has no money to repair it. With no assistance available, she has sought shelter at a neighbouring house.

Ismail, a visually impaired man from Sujapur village in Sonagazi, used to support his family of six through agricultural work.

The devastating floods washed away all of his savings. His home is now uninhabitable due to severe damage.

He mentioned that he had cultivated vegetables on 30 decimals of land beside his house and borrowed Tk 10,000 from locals to plant vegetables and rice seedlings. The floodwaters have now taken everything from him.

He now worries about repaying the loan while struggling to survive on the limited food supplies and help from neighbours.

FARMERS WORRY OVER DEBTS

Entrepreneur Abdul Kuddus from Feni’s Chonua union returned home from Saudi Arabia a few years ago with dreams of becoming a businessman.

With his savings, bank loans, and debts, he invested Tk 6 million to start a poultry business.

For two years, Kuddus ran a successful business, but the devastating flood that began on Aug 22 swept away all his dreams, leaving him destitute.

Kuddus mentioned that before the floods, his farm housed 3,000 layers and broilers, as well as 5,000 Sonali chickens.

He regularly sold the eggs and broiler chickens produced on his farm, but nothing could be salvaged from the floods.

Kuddus said, “On one hand, there is the bank loan instalment; on the other, I am thinking about restarting the farm. Without government support, I will not be able to recover.”

The Feni District Poultry Association General Secretary Md Kamrul Alam said nearly 80 percent of poultry farms in the area have been completely devastated by the floods.

During a recent press conference, he claimed: “After almost 10 days of severe flooding, poultry farmers in five Upazilas of the district have incurred losses totalling nearly Tk 4 billion.”

He added that without government support, the nearly destroyed poultry industry cannot restart production. A memorandum containing a six-point list of demands was submitted to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Fisheries and Livestock Advisor Farida Akhter.

Shahina said, “We have begun repairing the damaged roads. New seeds are being distributed to quickly resume food grain production. NGOs have been advised not to collect instalments for the next two months.”

“In addition to rehabilitating those affected by the flood, we need assistance in food security, safe drinking water, sanitation, medical aid, and cash support. Moreover, we must focus on constructing durable, permanent dams,” she added.

ESTIMATED DAMAGE TOTALS TK 300 BILLION

The district administration has published a report on post-flood damages, estimating a total loss of Tk 300 billion across various sectors, including public health, infrastructure, education, agriculture, health, communication, electricity, mobile towers, and religious establishments.

According to the report, there has been a complete loss of Tk 165.58 billion and partial losses amounting to Tk 144.49 billion.

In terms of livestock, the floods have resulted in the death of 5,721,301 chickens, 167,277 ducks, 30,650 cattle, 11,487 goats, 2,164 sheep, and 194 buffalo.

More than 707 kilometres of electricity lines have sustained partial damage. Among religious establishments, 54 mosques and one temple have been completely destroyed, while 1,242 mosques and 143 temples have suffered partial damage.

The total damage to rural, regional, and national highways in Feni has been estimated at Tk 1.4 billion. Similarly, damages to 866 educational institutions and offices have been assessed at Tk 380.7 million.

The estimated loss for motor vehicles due to the floods is naerly Tk 610 million. Infrastructure losses, including homes, furniture, and electrical goods, are estimated at around Tk 6.92 billion, while the damage to small, medium, and industrial enterprises across the district amounts to an estimated Tk 5.54 billion.

However, there has been mixed feedback among stakeholders regarding inconsistencies in the report's data.

55,000 LIVESTOCK DEATHS IN THE DISTRICT

The district's livestock sector has suffered significant damage due to the unprecedented, devastating flooding. A total of 3,022 farms have been affected.

Feni District Livestock Officer Dr Md Mozammel Haque said 338,289 cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep were impacted by the floods in six Upazilas, of which 55,254 animals - four-legged creatures - have died. The financial loss is estimated to be around Tk 167 million.

According to Sadar Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Shahidul Islam Khokon, 38,400 cows and buffaloes were affected by the floods in the sub-district, and approximately 26,000 of them have died.

However, according to government records, the district administration has put the damage to the livestock sector - both four-legged and two-legged animals - at approximately Tk 4 billion.

UNUSUAL REPORTS of BOAT DAMAGE

The damage report from the district administration recorded 113 boats as completely destroyed and 102 as partially damaged. The report assessed the financial loss from these 113 boats to be Tk 3.01 billion, meaning the loss per boat was estimated at Tk 26.7 million.

Priyo Lal, president of the fishermen’s community in Sonagazi, the only riverine Upazila or sub-district, said each boat costs no more than Tk 2,000 3,000 to build. There are no boats worth millions operating in Sonagazi.

When Assistant Commissioner (executive magistrate) Sultana Nasrin Kanta, who is in charge of the Feni Relief and Disaster Management Office, was asked about the figures, she said the data came from the Upazila PIO office. All losses were assessed as potential damages.

An hour later, the information on the completely damaged boats was revised, reducing the damage from Tk 3.01 billion to Tk 3.01 million.

ADMINISTRATION PRIORITISING REHABILITATION

The number of new houses built post-flood is minimal. Poor communities are looking towards government or non-government assistance for rebuilding their homes.

A discussion on the rehabilitation of flood victims and the state of law and order in Feni was held on Thursday afternoon at the deputy commissioner’s office, and the focus was placed on prioritising rehabilitation.

Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Md Tofail Islam said the government has taken measures to rehabilitate the flood-affected people. In continuation of this, 29 families in Sadar Upazila were given 29 bundles of tin. Along with the government, NGOs and volunteer organisations are working to rehabilitate those affected by the flooding.

On the other hand, District Livestock Officer Mozammel Haque said on Thursday afternoon that more than 100 small farmers affected by the flooding in six Upazilas of the district were each given a goat. A private organisation provided the goats, which were distributed among beneficiaries at the District Livestock Office.