The situation is improving in the tourist town of Cox’s Bazar as the rain water has started receding. However, apart from houses, roads, farms and fish enclosures have suffered extensive damage. 9 people died due to water and mountain collapse. On the other hand, the bodies of 4 people have been recovered in the trawler sinking incident. The administration says that all measures including emergency assistance are being taken to overcome the damage.
Meanwhile, several lakhs of people in Cox’s Bazar were trapped in water for several days due to heavy rains and landslides. Water started receding from flooded villages on Saturday (September 14) morning. Cox’s Bazar office official Abdul Hannan said that 210 millimeters of rain was recorded in Cox’s Bazar in the last 24 hours.
Various areas can be seen on the surface, due to reduced rainfall, water has started receding from the flooded areas of Sadar, Pekua, Chakria, Qutubdia, Ramu, Maheshkhali, Teknaf and Ukhia upazilas of Cox’s Bazar. However, even though the local water has receded in many places, the roads are still submerged. Flooding has occurred. People’s life has been disrupted due to flooding in those areas.
Flooding has occurred in almost 90 percent of the tourist city of Cox’s Bazar. 50 side streets of the city, including the main road, are submerged in water. In addition, people of at least 100 villages in Teknaf and Ukhia were trapped in water. The villages of Teknaf Sadar, Hoikung, Hnila, Baharchhara and Sabrang Union were inundated. The local public representatives reported that more than 20 villages of Rajapalong, Jaliyapalong, Haldiapalong and Palongkhali Union of Ukhia were flooded.
Hnila Rangikhali of Teknaf, Rashid Noori of Mamunur of Lamarpara said, now they are free from waterlogging. But the condition inside the house is very bad. The road is crumbling. Rehab is needed at this point.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Adnan Chowdhury said, heavy rain has flooded half a hundred villages of Teknaf. Many people are trapped in water. They are being given relief.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Vibhishan Kanti Das said that many areas of Cox’s Bazar are under water due to continuous rain. Control room has been launched. Apart from this, the district administration has given financial assistance of 75 thousand taka to the families of the three people who died in the landslide in Jhelongja. Work is going on under the leadership of the Magistrate to evacuate people from the dangerous locations on the hill.
He said that the situation is being monitored all the time and work is underway to assess the full picture of the damage.
Meanwhile, tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar are running in the sea ignoring the rain. Floating in the salt water of the sea. Tourists say that the beauty of the beach during monsoon is different. Many were also seen expressing their annoyance due to the rain. However, the tourists expressed relief as the rain water started to come down. At present, traffic is normal.