Floods have damaged crops on over 8.5 lakh heel ares of lands, 8870 primary schools and about 12,000-kilometre roads across the country this year, according to official statistics presented at a workshop yesterday.

Also, fisheries worth Tk 196 crore were washed away, livestock worth Tk 64 crore was lost and around 1.7 lakh handlooms and 2.25 lakh weaving labours were damaged due to floods that affected 228 upazilas in 39 districts.

The workshop on '2007 Flood Damage' was held at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital with a view to preparing a consolidated damage by this year's flood.

Food and Disaster Management Ministry, Disaster Management Bureau (DM 8 ) and Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised the workshop.

Representatives of eleven sectors -- Department of Agricultural Extension, Directorate of Fisheries,

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation, Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Department of Public Health and Engineering, Directorate of Primary Education, Directorate of Livestock Services, Bangladesh Handloom Board and Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) -presented their individual damage report.

According to the Directorate of Primary Education, floods have

damaged 110 primary schools completely and 8,686 schools partially while river erosion has gobbled another 74 schools.

The LGED estimated that 12,203-kilomctre of roads -- 6383-kilometre of muddy roads and 5820-kilomelre of pitched roads — were totally damaged.

DMB Director General KH Masud Siddique presided over the workshop while lan Rector, chief technical adviser and team leader, of CDMP, gave an welcome address.

lan Rector said CDMP would

prepare the Flood-2007 damage assessment report through a series of consultation with the departments concerned at national and local level.

UNDP Disaster Management Programme Manager Tarik-ul-Islam, World Food Programme Senior Officer Monju Morshed and CDMP Consultant AKM Mamunur Rashid tookpart in the workshop.

Senior government officials and representatives of international and non-government organisations attended the programme.