UNB, Chattogram :
The inhabitants of Tripurapara under Sonaichari union of Sitakunda upazila, which drew attention after the death of nine children due to measles outbreak last year, are still deprived of basic civic amenities despite the government’s assurance of providing them with necessary facilities.
On July 13, last year, nine children died of a mysterious disease in four days and the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) found that they had been suffering from measles. Besides, 160 children were affected by measles at that time.
As the death of the deprived indigenous children raised a huge outcry, the local administration promised to provide them with basic amenities, including sanitation, drinking, road communication, education and power connection.
Although one year has elapsed since the incident, the local administration did not take any visible initiative to develop their basic facilities.
Only one school and one clinic have been set up in the remote area of the upazila.
Zillur Rahman, the then deputy commissioner of the district, had pledged to install 10 tube-wells, three deep tube-wells, ensuring healthy sanitation, power connections and setting up schools but those have not been implemented yet.
During a recent visit to the Tripurapara, this correspondent found that the residents of the village are using the dirty water of a canal for their household work.
A tube-well was set up at the village by the administration but it went out of order.
However, the construction work on a school has started for providing education to the indigenous children of the area.
Contacted, UNO Tariqul Alam said the government has allocated Tk 19.20 lakh for the inhabitants of the Tripurapara in addition to providing books and stipends to the children.
Besides, the rehabilitation of the indigenous people could not be arranged yet for lack of khas land, he said.
The residents of the area have been living on others’ land as they do not have their own, he added.
Kanchan Tripura, a resident of the area, said their houses were damaged but the owners of the area did not allow them to repair those, causing immense sufferings to them.
The inhabitants of Tripurapara under Sonaichari union of Sitakunda upazila, which drew attention after the death of nine children due to measles outbreak last year, are still deprived of basic civic amenities despite the government’s assurance of providing them with necessary facilities.
On July 13, last year, nine children died of a mysterious disease in four days and the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) found that they had been suffering from measles. Besides, 160 children were affected by measles at that time.
As the death of the deprived indigenous children raised a huge outcry, the local administration promised to provide them with basic amenities, including sanitation, drinking, road communication, education and power connection.
Although one year has elapsed since the incident, the local administration did not take any visible initiative to develop their basic facilities.
Only one school and one clinic have been set up in the remote area of the upazila.
Zillur Rahman, the then deputy commissioner of the district, had pledged to install 10 tube-wells, three deep tube-wells, ensuring healthy sanitation, power connections and setting up schools but those have not been implemented yet.
During a recent visit to the Tripurapara, this correspondent found that the residents of the village are using the dirty water of a canal for their household work.
A tube-well was set up at the village by the administration but it went out of order.
However, the construction work on a school has started for providing education to the indigenous children of the area.
Contacted, UNO Tariqul Alam said the government has allocated Tk 19.20 lakh for the inhabitants of the Tripurapara in addition to providing books and stipends to the children.
Besides, the rehabilitation of the indigenous people could not be arranged yet for lack of khas land, he said.
The residents of the area have been living on others’ land as they do not have their own, he added.
Kanchan Tripura, a resident of the area, said their houses were damaged but the owners of the area did not allow them to repair those, causing immense sufferings to them.
