Cyclone Amphan: Fund crunch hits repairing of damaged Jashore edu institutions

Educational institutions damaged in Jashore during cyclone Amphan are yet to be repaired nearly three months after the natural disaster hit the country on 20 May.

Sources say 372 educational institutions damaged partially or completely during Amphan remain in dilapidated condition due to lack of financial assistance.

The local authorities say they have sent a list of the damaged institutions to the district education office a day after the storm.

According to the district education office, 372 institutions suffered an estimated damage of Tk 52.1 million.

These include 167 secondary schools, 60 government primary schools and 27 colleges, 113 madrasas and five technical educational institutions.

Tk 31.1 million is needed for the renovation of secondary schools, Tk 395,000 for primary schools, Tk 482,500 for colleges, Tk 17 million for madrasahs and Tk 150,000 for technical educational institutions, according to the assessment by the District Education Office.

Of these institutions, 40 are in Sadar upazila, 75 in Jhikargacha, 40 in Abhaynagar, 120 in Keshabpur, 31 in Chougachha, 38 in Manirampur, 10 in Bagharpara and 18 in Sharsha.

Sadar upazila secondary school headteacher Moinuddin said the tin-roof of his school was blown away during the storm and Tk 200,000 is needed to repair it but no fund has been provided.

“Teachers have been paid with the money from the school’s fund,” he said.

Moazzem Hossain, principal of Natunhat Public College, said the tin-roof of a college building and cycle stand were blown away during the storm that also damaged a building.

“We couldn’t repair them due to fund crunch,” he said.

District education officer Abdul Khalek said they have sent a list of the damaged educational institutions and funds needed to repair them to the Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE).

But no financial support has been received due to some complexities, Khalek said.

He said financial assistance will be provided to the heads of the educational institutions through the deputy commissioner.

Super cyclone Amphan slammed the coastal districts of Bangladesh on 20 May with strong wind and heavy rains. It also caused a tidal surge which inflicted heavy damage to the embankments and flooded many areas.

Initial estimates by four ministries suggested that cyclone Amphan badly affected 26 districts and caused damage worth Tk 11 billion.