Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Flood affected people lost their homes due to the collapse of the Gomti Dam in Burichong Upazila of Cumilla.

Due to the inability to bring the soil needed to construct the houses that were washed away by the flood, the victims are in trouble with the broken houses. In Trane, the house construction cannot be started despite having all the essentials including tin sheds and pillars.

Victims said, agricultural land is not allowed to cut the crop from there? Collecting VT sand from balim hall is also costly. Again, there is no road to bring the soil from far away - there is no money for transportation, on the other hand, building a house will be more expensive without the help of heavy equipment like vehicles or bulldozers.

It is learnt that about 83 thousand houses in Cumilla district have been damaged in the recent floods. Among them Burichong upazila has about 13 thousand. 4 thousand 1 hundred and 43 houses were completely damaged. Almost all the completely damaged and partially damaged houses have been swept away by the flood waters.

Mud houses are only tin and pillar structures standing but deep holes are made inside the house. Apart from that, the houses that were damaged in Burburia area were completely washed away. The water floated from the backyard to the ground. Residents of at least half a hundred houses in this area said that they are not getting soil anywhere to make house VT. As the roads are broken, it is not possible to bring soil from elsewhere. Construction of at least 20 houses is not possible in Bulbulia village alone due to lack of soil.

Md. Riaz, a farmer resident of Burburia area, said that for the time being, what we have got with the help is that we are unable to build houses, so we are not able to build buildings anymore. Despite having everything, many people are not able to build houses only because of lack of soil. The roads around are so damaged that it is not possible to bring soil from outside. People have been homeless for more than a month - if the government wants to help with various types of machinery and soil, it will be possible to build houses very quickly.

Mohammad Palash, a student of the same area, said that many people have the ability to build houses again. But now there is no way to bring soil from anywhere. Tractors are needed to bring VT soil and no one can afford heavy machinery like veku-bulldozers. Now if a family has these devices and they cooperate to make the videos first, then people can do the arrangement.

Burichong Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sahida Akhter said that now soil has to be collected from its own source, besides there is no alternative locally.

Purchase of soil or sand from any other source is subject to cost. Upazila Parishad has already started work for the renovation of the busy ghat. I have learned that LGED has got allocation for renovation of rural link roads.