Floods in Noakhali: 1229 damaged schools in shelters

<span style="max-width:100%" class="jwMediaContent jw_media_holder aligncenter" data-align="aligncenter" id="ari-image-1" data-ari="{"path":"media/2024/09/27/d5da0a66b458f7653e91afdebb612815-66f61fa86f29a.jpg","width":"700","alt":"u09b8u09aeu09cdu09aau09cdu09b0u09a4u09bf u09acu09a8u09cdu09afu09beu09b0u09cdu09a4u09a6u09c7u09b0 u0986u09b6u09cdu09b0u09dfu09c7 u09acu09cdu09afu09acu09b9u09c3u09a4 u09acu09bfu09a6u09cdu09afu09beu09b2u09dfu09c7 u0995u09cdu09b7u09a4u09bfu0997u09cdu09b0u09b8u09cdu09a4 u099au09c7u09dfu09beu09b0-u099fu09c7u09acu09bfu09b2u0964 u09a8u09cbu09dfu09beu0996u09beu09b2u09c0u09b0 u09a0u09c7u0995u09beu09b0u09b9u09beu099f u0989u099au09cdu099au09acu09bfu09a6u09cdu09afu09beu09b2u09dfu09c7u0964 u099bu09acu09bf: u0986u099cu0995u09c7 u09aau09a4u09cdu09b0u09bfu0995u09be","fullscreen":1,"align":"aligncenter","viewPort":".featured_image","url":"https://www.ajkerpatrika.com/359059/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8B%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A7%A7%E0%A7%A8%E0%A7%A8%E0%A7%AF-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0#image-1","id":1,"caption":"u09b8u09aeu09cdu09aau09cdu09b0u09a4u09bf u09acu09a8u09cdu09afu09beu09b0u09cdu09a4u09a6u09c7u09b0 u0986u09b6u09cdu09b0u09dfu09c7 u09acu09cdu09afu09acu09b9u09c3u09a4 u09acu09bfu09a6u09cdu09afu09beu09b2u09dfu09c7 u0995u09cdu09b7u09a4u09bfu0997u09cdu09b0u09b8u09cdu09a4 u099au09c7u09dfu09beu09b0-u099fu09c7u09acu09bfu09b2u0964 u09a8u09cbu09dfu09beu0996u09beu09b2u09c0u09b0 u09a0u09c7u0995u09beu09b0u09b9u09beu099f u0989u099au09cdu099au09acu09bfu09a6u09cdu09afu09beu09b2u09dfu09c7u0964 u099bu09acu09bf: u0986u099cu0995u09c7 u09aau09a4u09cdu09b0u09bfu0995u09be","wrapCaption":"8. u09cd u09afu09ac u9b9u09c3u09a4u09acu09bfu09a6u09cdu09afu09beu09b2u09dfu09c7u0995u09cdu09a4u09cdu09a4u09bf 88 › 9c0u9b0u09a0 u09c7 u0995u09be u09beu099fu0989u099au09cdu099au09acu09bfu09a6u09cdu09afu09beu09du06 9bf: u0986u099cu0995u09c7u09aau09a4u09cdu09b0u 09bfu0995u09be“}”> More than 2 million people in eight upazilas of Noakhali were trapped in the recent floods. They took refuge in a thousand of 229 primary, secondary and higher schools. For a long time, the use of these educational institutions for living and food caused a large number of people various damages including the furniture. As a result, normal education programs are used. The education department said that 46 crore rupees are needed to repair this compensation.

On August 20, a terrible flood occurred in Noakhali. Most areas of Sadar, Kabirhat, Companyganj, Senbagh, Begumganj, Sonaimuri, Chatkhil upazilas of the district and some unions of Subarnachar upazila were submerged by several feet of water. Municipal areas of Noakhali, Kabirhat, Begumganj, Senbagh, Sonaimuri and Chatkhil are under water.

We visited various educational institutions on the ground, the chairs-tables and benches, electric tables, water taps, toilets of the classrooms of the schools lie in a dilapidated condition. More than a thousand people from Harinarayanpur district of the city took shelter at Noakhali High School in Noakhali Municipal district. This establishment was used as a shelter for more than 20 days. And during that period of use, bathrooms, water taps, basins, water pipes, classroom lights, fans, electrical switches, CC cameras, tables and other furniture of the institution are destroyed.

According to the sources of the district education department, 766 primary education institutions and 463 secondary and secondary education institutions in the area are used as temporary shelters during floods. All are more or less damaged. Among these institutions, primary schools need around 6 crores and middle and high schools need at least 40 crores to repair the damage.

It is known that the teaching activities of some educational institutions have been started on a limited scale at different times after the flood, but the attendance is relatively low. Teachers say that due to such a situation, students are lagging behind in the educational program. On the other hand, there is still water on most of the roads, so the students have to hurry to come to school.

Parents say, ‘The saturation that has happened in Noakhali after the floods is getting longer. Many rural roads still have deep water. As a result, although some teaching has started in schools, our children are not able to attend regularly. They have lagged far behind the syllabus due to student unrest following the country’s political unrest and prolonged absences due to flooding and waterlogging. The damage to the educational institutions needs to be quickly repaired and made suitable for teaching.

The Principal of Noakhali High School, Mahmud Riyad, said that water entered most of the houses at the beginning of the flood due to the low-lying area of the Khalpar on the eastern side of the school. Because it is being used as a shelter, the bathrooms, basins, light fans, electric switches, CC cameras, classroom chairs tables and furniture of the two buildings have been damaged to the tune of around 5 lakh rupees. As people moved out of shelters from September 10, some classrooms were initially prepared for teaching. A short term teaching program is ongoing. However, the students suffer in the heat because electric switches break down, and light fans in the rooms. Apart from this, the use of the bathrooms must be speeded up.

District Primary Education Officer Manchur Ali Chowdhury said that 83 schools and fields in the flood-affected areas are still closed due to water in the fields, while the rest remain. A list of compensation has been sent to higher authorities.

Executive engineer of the district education and engineering directorate. Hasan Shawkat said, ‘Most of the secondary and higher schools that were used as temporary shelters during the floods have been damaged. We have already estimated the damage of around 40 crore rupees to high and high schools. As water has not receded from many areas yet, the damage may increase further. If the allocation is accepted, the repair work of the damaged educational institutions will begin.

Noakhali District Commissioner Khandkar Ishtiaq Ahmed told Ajker Patrika that 1.2 million people are still waterlogged in many Sadar, Kabirhat and Senbagh, Begumganj, Sonaimuri and Chatkhil upazilas unions of the district. After the water recedes completely, educational activities in the area will be normal.