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Rescue boat in dire need of rescue
PHOTO: STAR
MINTU DESHWARA
At a time when a life-saving equipment is so much in need, a rescue boat worth several lakhs has just been lying neglected in Sunamganj’s Tahirpur upazila for nearly two years.
Local people, however, pointed to a lack of monitoring to the vehicle by the authorities concerned.
Aiming to deploy in the remote areas where rapid relief is crucial, two rescue boats, including Tangua-Sunamganj-1, was handed over to Sunamganj district in 2022.
But sadly, one of those vital resources Tangua-Sunamganj-1 is currently facing destruction due to mishandling of the authorities concerned.
In 2021, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief built 60 such rescue boats for haor areas and different coastal districts.
Of those, eight boats were handed over to different districts the same year.
The following year, the other 52 rescue boats were handed over to different upazila and district headquarters, including two in Sunamganj Sadar and Tahirpur upazila.
During the flood in 2022, rescue boat Tangua-Sunamganj-1 was used for various purposes like distributing public and private relief among the flood affected and displaced people.
But since the recession of the flood water, the important life-saving equipment has been left abandoned in utter neglect.
While talking, a number of locals said after the flood in 2022 the boat was first anchored in the Boulai river in front of Shah Arefin Auto Rice Mill for a few days and then shifted to opposite to Tahirpur Police Station.
The rescue boat, which remained abandoned at the same place since then, went under water after the recent rainfalls.
The huge canopy of the 54-feet-long and 12.5-feet-wide boat has been torn down, while most part of its body, including the engine, is submerged under water.
Moreover, rusts have covered various metal parts of the boat due to prolonged exposure under the open sky.
One of the local residents Sadikur Rahman said though bought at a significant cost rescue boat Tangua-Sunamganj-1 is being destroyed due to the carelessness of the authorities concerned.
Tahirpur Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Junab Ali said during the flood in 2022 the rescue boat was used to send relief materials to thousands of flood-affected people in haor areas.
But it is so sad that such an important state resource is being squandered due to carelessness of the concerned people. Tahirpur Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Muhibur Rahman said maintenance work of the rescue boat will be very done soon.