Shelter for the shelterless
27 Sidr, Aila hit families get houses
House-cum-cyclone shelters, built on Kauwar Char near Kuakata sea beach in Patuakhali, have been distributed among 27 families who became shelterless during cyclones Sidr and Aila.Photo: STAR
Twenty-seven landless families in Kuakata area, rendered shelterless during the onslaught of super cyclones Sidr and Aila in 2007 and 2009, have got new houses. The houses built by Action Aid, Bangladesh under its 'Shelter for Landless Project' at Charchaplee and Kawar Char villages in the coastal region were handed over to the homeless people last week. Of the houses, 18 were built at Charchaplee and another nine at Kawar Char village in Kalapara upazila. Expressing pleasure Sidr victim Hira Begum, 50, said “Now there is no fear as we received the houses built with concrete that would not be damaged by such cyclone”. Hira's husband Amir Hossain went missing during the Sidr and since then the woman along with her two sons Shahidul and Sohel were living in a makeshift shelter on the flood control dam. She is now working as a day labourer under a special programme of Food for Work'. Like Hira Begum, Aison Bibi and Abdul Khaleq of Charchaplee and Nasima Begum, Nargis Begum and Abul Kalam of Kawar Char village expressed their heartfelt joys after receiving the dwellings. They said no flood, cyclone and tidal surges would be able to destroy the houses now as it was built with bricks. All the houses are built with bricks and RCC pillars. Each one is 21 feet long and 14 feet wide. It is not only to be used as houses but also as cyclone shelters, said an official of Action Aid. “The cost of each house is Tk about 4.50 Lakh”. Tidal surge will not be able to enter the houses erected on seven pillars as its ground floor is open, the official added. Earlier, the government allocated 6.50 acres of khas land to build 107 houses cum cyclone shelters for the Sidr and Aila victims. Of the houses, 27 were handed over to the landless families and the rest are being built, Action Aid sources in Kalapara said.
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