Dwellers leaving Ashrayan houses at Char Fasson

CHAR FASSON, BHOLA, Mar 24: Dwellers of two Ashrayan projects at Char Fasson Upazila of the district are leaving the houses as those have become unsuitable for living.  
The authority concerned is not taking any step for the people who have taken shelter there over a decade ago. People living in the shelters are going through many hurdles.
Under the projects, two shelter centres were built in 1998 and 2009 at Omarpur and Ayshabag unions. Eighty homeless families in eight barracks got shelters in the projects. The homeless families got new abode and started living there.
Lack of renovation for two decades made the projects deplorable. Twenty-six families have already moved elsewhere. The remaining 54 families are living under the roof wrapped with polythene ignoring storm and rain.
About 420 members including women and children live in the shelters.  Out of four, two tube-wells are running well. There is one toilet for five families which is unhygienic and unusable.
The children of the project inmates are deprived of education and health facilities.
Ayshabag and Omarpur union parishads have given shelter to 5,000 families in 83 shelters. Of them, 2,000 families have already left the shelter.
Shahnur Begum, a woman of Omarpur Union Project, said she along with her family lost their house in river erosion eight years back. She took shelter in Ayshabag centre under no. 9 ward. The allocated house became unsuitable for living. Some houses are roofless; some do not have door or wall, while some are shattered. Rain water enters through the ceiling.
Jotsna Begum, another project inmate said she had lost her house at Dhal Char in Aslampur Union. She took shelter at Ayshabag centre. She started living in the centre to save herself and her family from storm and sun.
President of Aligaon Shelter Project at no. 1 ward of Omarpur Union Md Ruhul Amin said the tube-wells, toilets and rooms need repair. They don't get any help from the government. There are no education facilities.
He also said they have written letters to upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) about the issues but they have
not received any support in this
connection.  
UNO Md Ruhul Amin said they do not have any allocation for the repair of the shelters. He will send a proposal letter to the authority concerned seeking allocation for repair. They'll start renovation once they receive the allocation.