PABNA. Sept 8: Vast areas around Ishurdi airport has been inundated due to Rood in river Pabna. Although flood citua tion specially, the waterlevel in the river was more or less static suice Friday, new areas are still being in undated, The low-lying areas in the flood-affected unions of the district were goign under water till Wrating this report on Saturday evening. This has fosed threat to Ishurdi airfort.

Meanwhile, ferrl services between Paksey and Bheramara ferryghats were still facing frequent disruptives as all the four ferries plying between the two ferryghats-Paksey and Bheramara were taking too much time in crossing the turbulent river Padma.

Norwally. it takes over 20 minutes, but new-a-days. it was taking more than two hours to cross the same distance.

The flow of current in the river was to heavy in the river

was two heavy. Ferries were being swept away about a ails in the downstieans and from their again, the ferries have to force way up stream to reach dis-trivation.

A transport driver raid that new furrles should be placed in this ghat during the raing season and lighter ones during the lean period. The above problem has threatened the road communication between the districts of the northern and southern zones. Even today, about 300 vehicels. Including trucks loaded with perishabh Eads, were lying streanded on th the ghats.

This correspondent visited areas of the flood-affected areas within Pabna .Sadar thana over an engine-foat on Saturday. During the gourney. it was found that about 20,000 men. women and children were lying maroned within the river Padma, Many of the thatched

houses were swept away by the river without giving any time to the owners thereof to break the douses and remove them to safer place. At least 1,000 houses were thus earrived away by the turbutent river.

Moreover. 2000 more houses were found eroded with no trace of the bhiti even, the correspondent also found many of-fected people breaking their houses and keeping them at some higher place so that they could remover them as soon as they find any local for the punpose it least 300 such houses came to the notice during the eight house journey.

The sufferings of the people became extremely acute in villages char Madharipur. char Bhoueamiptir, Khash char Balarampur. Char Mathpara, Jote Kankuria. Gangadhardia. Basuderpur. Peerpur. Balarampur. Sreerampur. Raiballarour and Bhandanga as almost 95 pc houses of these villages were ei-

ther eroded of broken and carried away by the severe current or have been removed.

The Chairman of Bharara union. Mosharraf Hossain, said that although all the above villages full within the territorial jurisdiction of his union, it has been extremely difficult even for htm and for a all the elected numbers of his union to move house-to-house or even vlllage-to-vlllage to see the extterings and miseries of the people for want of boats-badly needed now for various purposes.

There is scarcity of boats. 'Dlngi manka" boats are quite unfit for the purpose due to strong current in the river. These small traditional boats, throught not in sufficient number. are however available but not the big engine-boats which alone can serve the purpose. Hence, due to the difficulties, distribution of relief materilals and reaching other necessities were extremely difficult.

The chairman also disclosed that at least 95 pc of the tubewells In the affected under ■ Bharara union were washed away and they were vendred quite unserviceable. The people, solely dependant oath tubewells for the drinking water they need, are facing wast sufferings for procuring water from distract areas where one or two tubewells in unaffected cordi-tion.

This correspondent also noticed, in a very few areas though, men and women using banana vellas for proaurlng a Jug dr of water.

Fedous Alam Khan, alias Gadamoni. Chairman. Char Tarapur union of Pabna sadar thana detailed out the devastations as about 2.000 persons in his union were rendered homeless. about 10.000 were beadly affected, nuarly 5,000 still lying marooned, over 15,000 acres of land bearing various crops were simply washed away and 15

mosques an 17 educational In stitutions were incmdated.

Naming the villages as Go-haillearl, Arial Gohailbarl Bhaduria dangi, Bholardangir char. Hazarblar Khas, Digni Gohailbarl, Bahirchar. Das para. Balladangl and Khas chen Dhupra Khole to have been badly effected by severe erosion in the river Padma which took a virulent look this ytar.

It was further learnt that villages Kamarpur, Kushakhall, char Kushakkah. Radhakanta-pur. Radhakantapur, Ghoshpur. char Ghoshpur, Char Sadira-Jpur. Raninagar and several other villages of Dogachhl union have also been beadly affected and faced' similar damages and destructions.

When contacted, teh Destrict Rehip and Rehabilitation Officer Pabna, was not available over tlephoen and hence official assessments of damages and relief distributed could not