Nor’wester wreaks havoc in north

Hundreds of houses were damaged, trees and electric poles uprooted while crops including paddy, maize and mango orchards were affected at eight upazilas in Rangpur as a nor’wester hit the district on Monday and Tuesday night.

Mujiubur Rhaman, the sub-assistant engineer of Northern Electric Supply Company (NESCO) Ltd, Rangpur office, said electric wires have been disconnected in almost all places of the city due to the gusty wind of the storm on Tuesday night. Trees and plants fell on the line.

It will take time to fix the line, he added.

An official of Rangpur Met Office, Mostafizur Rahman said the highest speed of the storm wind on Monday and Tuesday night was about 45 -73 kilometres per hour. Fifty-eight-millimetre rainfall was recorded during the period.

Deputy Director Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Rangpur, Abdullah AL Mamun said, the nor’wester has caused damage to some standing croplands and mango orchards in the district.

“Our field level officers are working in the fields to collect data and advise the farmers on the way of harvesting of the leaning crops,” he added.

When asked about losses, he said “We do not have any statistics of the losses as it is yet to be prepared.”

A Rural Electrification Board (REB) official at Paglapir office of the district preferring to be unnamed said, electric wires in different places of the district were disconnected as many poles have been uprooted.

When asked, Deputy Commissioner Dr Chitralekha Nazneen said the district administration is aware of the situation.

“We have instantly distributed 10 tonnes of rice and 400 bundles of dheutin (iron sheets) among the affected people. We will allocate more relief after receiving the lists of the affected people from the upazilas. We have also directed all upazila Nirbahi officers of the district to take care and support the affected people,” she added.

Local sources said several tin-shed and brick houses have been damaged, and trees and electric poles uprooted at Tambulpur Chwala, Parul, Etakumari unions under Pirgacha upazila and Kawnia Sadar of the district.

Laily Begum, a resident of Tamulpur Bograpara village of Pirgacaha upazila said, she had a small room in the house. Trees over the abode were uprooted and fell on it causing huge damage. She runs a small grocery shop nearby the house to support her livelihood was blown off in the storm.

Tamulpur UP chairman Bazlur Rashid under Pirgacha upazila, said around two hundred houses were damaged in the storm in his union. Trees and electric poles have also been uprooted.

Pirgacha UNO Nazmul Haque Sumon said the storm caused huge damage in six unions of the upazila. Around 1,500 semi-pucca houses have been affected. Shops under the open sky in different hat-bazaars of the unions were damaged. Roadside trees and electric poles have been uprooted with the gusty wind and fallen on the roads. Locals and fire servicemen cleared the roads removing the fallen trees.

“We visited the affected villages and prepared a list of affected people,” he added.

Meanwhile, the nor’wester hit many villages at Kawnia, Mithapukur and Gangachara upazilas of the district and damaged houses, croplands and mango orchards.

Kawnia UNO Tahmina Tarin said the storm has caused damage to many houses, croplands and uprooted electric poles at Shaidbag, Kursha, Tepamodupur and Sarai unions of the upazila. The char people of the upazila have become the worst hit.

Mostafizur Rahman, a mango farmer at Moyenpur village under Mithapukur upazila of the district said, he has a mango orchard on four acres of land. Trees in the orchard have been affected partially by the storm.