Low-lying areas go under water in 3 Khulna upazilas

Cyclonic storm Amphan destroyed the house of Sahida Khan. Currently she lives with her husband and three children at a house built on a dam. As river Kapotakkha is surging due to the effect of Cyclone Yaas, she is in fear losing the last straw in Loka area of Koyra upazila, Khulna on 25 May 2021
Saddam Hossain

Low-lying areas in Koyra, Dakope and Paikgachcha upazilas in Khulna district have been inundated by the tidal surge triggered by cyclone Yaas which made a landfall in eastern India on Wednesday, reports UNB.

Residents of these three upazilas have been experiencing light rain or drizzles since Wednesday noon and the local administration has opened over 1000 cyclone shelters.

Besides, volunteers, Red Crescent workers and members of law enforcement agencies are working to tackle the situation and ensure safety of the people living in coastal area of the country.

Senior meteorologist of Khulna regional Met Office, Amirul Azad said low-lying areas are likely to be inundated by three to four feet high tidal surge due to the full moon phase and cyclone Yaas.

The local Met office recorded 21 mm of rainfall in the past two days in the district.

Mohammad Azizul Haque Zoardar, district relief and rehabilitation officer, said 1,048 cyclone shelters have been kept ready in nine upazilas of the district.

Besides, there are 724 schools, colleges and madrashas will be turned into shelter centres with capacity of accommodating 400,000 people.

A total of 116 medical teams are working, he said.

Executive engineer of Satkhira Water Development Board-2, Rashidur Rahman, said 24 points of 155 kilometre long embankment in Koyra upazila of the district has been identified as risky.

Already the authorities concerned are conducting repair work.

But if the tidal surges go up to 8 to 10 feet above the normal astronomical tide, then it will be difficult to protect the embankment.

Koyra upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Animesh Biswash said there are 118 cyclone shelters in the upazila and 65,000-70,000 people can stay there.

ABM Khalid Hossain Siddique, UNO of Paikgachcha upazila, said a total of 108 shelters with capacity of accommodating 59,000 people have been prepared and 3,000 volunteers are ready to provide all-out support.

Besides, 11 medical teams are ready to provide treatment.

Khulna police super (SP) Mahbub Hasan said a committee has been formed in each ward to tackle pre and post-cyclone situation