Satkhira: Six years after cyclone Aila devastated the south-western coast of Bangladesh, people of the Satkhira district left their homes in search of work.

On the night of 25 May 2009, Aila struck 14 coastal districts of the country, leaving a trail of destruction killing 150 and affecting nearly 30 lakh people.

Thousands of people lost their hearths and homes to the cyclone and took shelter over the roads. After two years in miseries, several people left the area for better lives.

The Aila-hit people of Gabura and Padmapukur area of Shyamnagar upazila, Shatkhira cannot go back to their normal lives, even after six years of the disaster. The victims got new houses from government and non-government organisations. The authorities built up roads and repaired damaged embankments but the cyclone massively damaged the agricultural system of the district. People are leaving the area in search of work as there are lacks of job opportunities in Satkhira.

Shrimp farmer Mohammad Habibur Rahman, also a resident of Khutikata village of Shyamnagar upazila, said Aila vastly damaged the shrimp cultivation as his shrimp enclosures were washed away. After resuming the cultivation, the shrimp enclosures met loss due to virus attack.
He said the debt-ridden farmers are going outside for better-paying works.

There are also lack of hospitals and clinic in the Aila affected area. People cannot reach the community health centres for disrupted communication system.

Moreover, safe drinking water for the people of the area remains a far cry.

Momena Khatun, a resident of Pakhimara village, said, ‘We don’t have hospital, clinic and doctors here. Doctors from private health centres visit our village regularly.’

The people of Gabura and Padmapukur used to catch fishes and to cut trees for their livelihood but it is stopped nowadays.

Fisherman Fazar Ali, a resident of Dumuria, said, ‘I used to cut trees from the forest and catch fishes, but government banned these now.’