Cyclone Mora: Govt to rebuild all damaged homes: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday gave an assurance that all the houses and establishments damaged by Cyclone Mora would be rebuilt. 

And no one affected by the cyclone that swept over the country's southeastern coast on Tuesday will suffer from food shortage. 

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“I have already ordered to import rice, as food grains were destroyed [by flashfloods] in the haor region,” Hasina said in parliament, adding that the food minister was now in Vietnam to import rice.

Besides, the government has taken steps to increase the rice production.

"Natural disasters are our regular companion. But we've [her government] the capability to tackle any natural calamity and we've already proved it.”

Regarding the rescue of cyclone victims, Hasina told the House that two Navy ships had reached Kutubdia and Teknaf, badly affected by the cyclone, to carry out relief work.

“Helicopters are ready to conduct relief work in the remote areas if needed,” the leader of the House said during the question-answer hour.

“We would take all-out efforts to rebuild damaged houses and establishments….In the same way, the damaged embankments would be repaired.

“We are preparing a list of affected people who lost their houses.”

Food and cash are being distributed to affected people. The Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, administration and local governments are working together to conduct relief and rehabilitation work, Hasina said.

Moreover, the ruling Awami League has formed several teams to visit affected areas.

At least eight people were killed and dozens injured in the cyclone that sent fishing boats and ships aground and knocked out power connections to thousands of houses in almost entire Cox's Bazar and parts of Chittagong.

Thousands of people are now living under the open sky, as severe cyclonic storm Mora lashed the southeastern coast and damaged on its way thousands of houses and knocked down trees Tuesday morning.

“We are lucky that the storm hit the land during the ebb tide and as a result the tidal surge did not become deadly,” Hasina said.

The government's quick response to evacuate people to cyclone centres and other shelters helped reduce human loss. But a number of houses and establishments were damaged as well as countless trees were uprooted, the PM added.

In reply to another query, she said boro crops on 2.50 lakh hectares of the hoar region had been destroyed by flashfloods. Early monsoon, excessive rainfall and onrush of water from the hills in bordering areas triggered flashfloods.

Regarding deaths of fish in haor areas during flashfloods, PM said three groups of scientists had analysed the situation and said fish in the hoars died due to a drop of oxygen level in waters following formation of ammonia gas.