Arshad Ali Sana, a 78-year-old resident of Pratapnagar village in Ashashuni upazila, died at his residence last week due to old-age complications. He died at 11am on Friday, but it was another 12 hours before his family could bury him. "We frantically searched for a proper burial place in the entire village for a good six-seven hours and then decided to build a concrete structure at the family graveyard to put the patriarch to rest. It was basically an above-ground burial," his son told UNB. The reason behind the family's ordeal -- wet ground in Pratapnagar village that is making burials impossible, causing further anguish for bereaved families. Also read Can shrimp farmers recover from Amphan-Yaas double blow? Residents say that the entire village was inundated due to flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall under the impact of the devastating Cyclone Yaas. Though the flood water has started receding in some areas, it has rendered the ground wet.

The local administration has estimated a loss of Tk 60 crore in damage caused by Cyclone Yaas in the coastal areas of Khulna district. Due to the impact of the cyclone, many houses, fish enclosures, some 100 kilometres of embankments and crop lands were damaged. Read: Cyclone Yaas disrupts normal life in 23 chars of Bhola The experts have estimated that the combined damage is worth up to Tk 60 crore. In Koyra upazila, 50 villages under four unions of the district have been flooded by the river water while the tidal surge entered the localities through 11 points of the flood-protection embankment as the water levelof Kapotakkho, Koyra and Shakbaria rivers increased 6-7 feet above the normal level. The local administration of Koyra upazila alone said the losses caused by the cyclone amount to Tk 35 crore. Fish farmers of the upazila are the worst affected as fish of some 2550 hectares of shrimp enclosures and ponds have been washed away, counting a loss of fish worth Tk 15 crore. Besides, the tidal surge inundated many low-lying areas of the upazila as embankments in many points including Dashhalia, Mathbari, Tetultala char, Angtihara, Gobra, Ghatakhali, Koyra headquarters, Katkata, Kashir Hatkhola, Katmarchar, Pabna, Kashir Khal, Hogla, Uttar Bedkashi, Gatir Gheri, Shakbaria, Noyani and Khorolkati have been damaged. GM Abdullah Al Mamun, chairman of Maharazpur union, said “The volunteers have repaired the risky points of the embankments but they failed to protect villages and the tidal surge entered into the locality through many points of the embankments.” Read: Yaas: How Bhasan Char prepared for the cyclone Sagar Hossain Soikat, project implementation officer of Koyra upazila, said “Thirty-five villages in the upazila have been flooded due to the impact of Cyclone Yaas, rendering 25,000 people marooned. We have made a list of the damaged things and we found Tk 35 crore damage.” Besides, 7050 houses were damaged during the cyclonic storm. Of these, 50 houses were fully damaged, 1200 houses were damaged partially and 5,800 houses were slightly damaged, said Sagar Hossain. Animesh Biswas, Koyra Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said necessary assistance will be provided to the affected people. In Paikgachcha upazila, 86 kilometres of roads of ten unions and a municipality have been damaged while 28 kilometres of the embankment was partially damaged. Some 660 hectares of shrimp enclosures have been washed away, incurring a loss of Tk 1.15 crore. Besides, 10,000 people have been affected by the cyclone. Read:Cyclone Yaas: 4 teams formed to assess damage in the Sundarbans Imrul Kayesh, project implementation officer of the upazila, said a number of villages were inundated by the tidal surge. According to the sources in Dakope upazila, 200 hectares of fish enclosures were washed away and 34 kilometres of road, 24 kiloometre embankment, 15 mosques, five temples, and 2,828 houses were damaged. The overall estimate of losses caused by the cyclone in the upazila is Tk 11.27 crore.  

The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest of which more than half lies in Bangladesh, once again acted as a natural barrier protecting the country from the worst effects of Cyclone Yaas, as it has done countless times before. Yet this protection comes at a cost, as the forest ecosystem must bear heavy damage each time to both its flora and fauna. At least 6 deer, alive and dead, were recovered until Thursday as they came floating along the flood waters from the forest, a day after rthe cyclone made landfall. For two days, the entire mangrove remained inundated in saline water pushed in by tidal waves that reached over 5-feet during the high tide. Read Yaas leaves behind Tk 60 crore worth of damage, losses in Khulna Experts fear for the rich biodiversity of the forest as salt water may remain for quite some time before being absorbed into the soil, turning the land saline too. “Through a long adaptive process wildlife has survived in Sundarbans but the biodiversity will be affected as their food and habitats have been destroyed,” said Dr. Md Anwarul Islam, professor of the Zoology Department at Dhaka University. “Remaining submerged in saline water can hinder reproduction as well as other diseases to the animals,” he said. Also read: Cyclone Yaas disrupts normal life in 23 chars of Bhola The southwestern mangrove forest formed on the Bay of Bengal has been working as a buffer between the coastal population and many catastrophic cyclones that ravage the region every year. Cyclones Aila, Bulbul, Sidr, Amphan and most recently Yaas all at first rampaged the Sundarbans and then weakened as they reached further into Bangladesh.

At least 11,309 family’s  lives have become disrupted as cyclone Yaas damaged 23 chars of coastal district Bhola. District’s relief and rehabilitation officer, Md. Motahar Hossain told UNB at least 1, 70,000 people have been affected by the cyclone. Meanwhile primary data says, 659 villages of 51 union of the island district have been affected. Of them 3,579 families are homeless now and 7,370 are facing partial damage. People of several chars like Dhal char, char Kukri-Mukri, Char Nizam, Kolatolir char, char Jahiruddin, Madanpur, Neyamatpur, Majher char and Rajapur are passing their days in extreme condition. Also read: Two Satkhira unions bear the brunt of Yaas However, around 200 thousand people who have been directly affected by the cyclone are yet to receive any significant aid other than dry foods. In 50 places, 16 protective dams of the flood control dam have been destroyed. Until Friday, the level of tidal water had lowered but clogged saline water in water bodies made fresh water and cow food scarce. This resulted in a plague of domestic animals in the char region. District’s livestock Officer Indrajit Kumar said, death of 134 animals have been reported till Saturday. In southern char areas buffalos are being infected with many diseases but our team is providing necessary treatments, he said. There is no lack of relief as district administration already provided tin and financial assistance to those who have become completely homeless, said relief and rehabilitation officer, Md. Motahar Hossain. “Affected are being listed, they will soon be rehabilitated,” he said. Meanwhile, the restoration work of  critically damaged dams to block tidal waves has already started, said Md. Hasanujjaman, executive engineer of Bhola Water Development Board.

Several areas in two upazilas of Satkhira district have been flooded due to tidal surges caused by cyclone Yaas. At least 30,000 people have been affected in Padmapukur union of Shyamnagar upazila and Pratapnagar union of Ashashuni upazila, UNB has learnt. A vast portion of the flood-protected embankment has been damaged, leading to flooding in many areas of the two unions. Local people are still continuing the repair work of the embankment, three days after cyclone Yaas made landfall in eastern India. Some have alleged that food assistance provided by the government has not yet reached many affected areas. Besides, there's a scarcity of drinking water in the coastal areas. According to the local administration, some 50,800 people of 12 unions in the district have been affected, while 4,765 houses were damaged by the cyclone. Read:Cyclone Yaas: 50 villages in Khulna inundated by tidal surges Besides, shrimp enclosures across 35 hectares of land have been inundated while fish worth Tk 8 crore were washed away by tidal waves. Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira District, SM Mostafa Kamal, said, “Already many embankments have been repaired, but the authorities have failed to restore the one near Padmapukur and Protapnagar unions.” Also read: Cyclone Yaas: 4,470 fish enclosures inundated in Bagerhat The commissioner of Khulna Division has already visited the affected areas and all necessary steps are being taken to reach food at the doorsteps of people living in remote areas, he said.  

The district fisheries department confirmed on Friday that some 4,470 fish enclosures and over 400 ponds in Bagerhat have been inundated by tidal surges triggered by Cyclone Yaas. Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer SM Russell said that tidal surges affected the fish enclosures and ponds in eight upazilas of Bagerhat. "Different species of fish, including shrimp, worth Tk 6.5 crore have been swept away," he said. Read:Cyclone Yaas: 50 villages in Khulna inundated by tidal surges The fish farmers of Sharankhola, Morelganj, Rampal and Mongla upazilas of Bagerhat have been hit the hardest. A list of victims has been sent to senior officials, he added. However, according to the fish farmers, the amount of the loss is more. On Wednesday, due to the impact of Cyclone Yaas, water flowed above the danger level in various rivers of Bagerhat.  

More than 50 villages in four unions of Khulna's Koyra upazila have been inundated by tidal surges triggered by Cyclone Yaas. In the four unions of Koyra, embankments have been damaged at 11 places. Dams of the Bangladesh Water Development Board on Kapotakkho, Koyra and Shakberia rivers were also damaged due to high tidal waves. The upazila administration has said that the losses in the four unions are estimated to be around Tk 35 crore. This is because large tracts of farm land, fish and cattle have been swept away by tidal surges. About Tk 15 crore worth of fish have been lost in the impact of the cyclone. Read:Cyclone Yaas: Low-lying areas go under water in 3 Khulna upazilas More than 5,000 people rendered homeless are currently staying in shelters. Efforts are on to move others stranded in their homes to safer places, officials said. On Wednesday, 11 embankments were damaged, as a result of which saline water of the rivers marooned 35 villages. Later,  the residents managed to block only eight points. As a result, another 15 to 20 villages were inundated by Thursday noon. Although the fear of the cyclone has subsided, people of the area are spending sleepless nights fearing an imminent collapse of the Kateni dam.  

People of 27 upazilas across nine coastal districts of Bangladesh were hit by a three to six feet storm surge caused by Cyclone Yaas Wednesday. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman said this at a media briefing in Dhaka. Yaas moved inland into India's Odisha from the Bay of Bengal in the morning, but Bangladesh remained largely unscathed. However, people in districts such as Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Noakhali and Laxmipur have been affected by the high tide, Enamur said. At least two deaths were reported in Bangladesh and thousands of people in 200 villages were marooned as their homes, shops and farms were flooded by tidal surges. The "very severe cyclonic storm" packed sustained winds of 130-140 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 155 kph when it made landfall, the India Meteorological Department said. Also read: Cyclone Yaas: 2 deaths reported in Bangladesh, 5 in India The affected upazilas include Shyamnagar, Asashuni, Koyra, Dakop, Paikgachha, Sharankhola, Mongla, Morelganj, Mathbaria, Barguna Sadar, Patharghata, Amtali, Patuakhali Sadar, Galachipa, Rangabali, Dashmina, Mirzaganj, Kolapara, Charfashion, Monpura, Tajumuddin, Dawlatkhan, Borhanuddin, Bhola Sadar, Hatia, Ramgati and Kamalnagar, Enamur informed. The government rushed 16,500 packets of dry food to the affected residents of these areas, he said.

At least two deaths were reported Wednesday in Bangladesh and five in India  as Cyclone Yaas triggered storms and floods. Reports sent by UNB correspondents indicate that dozens of houses have been damaged and low-lying areas inundated, cutting off road communication in some areas. In Bhola, a man was killed after being hit by a falling tree branch during a storm triggered by Yaas in Lalmohan upazila of Bhola on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Abu Taher, 48, a local farmer. Bhola Deputy Commissioner Md Tawfiq-E-Lahi Chowdhury said Tk 20,000 has been provided to Taher’s family as assistance. Bhola has been seeing drizzles and strong wind since Wednesday morning. Cyclone Yaas has made landfall in India’s Odisha. Also read: 5 killed, damages incurred as cyclone Yaas completes landfall in eastern India Child drowns in Bagerhat Meanwhile, four-year-old Jinia died this afternoon after drowning near her house in Morrelganj upazila of Bagerhat. Morrelganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Delwar Hossain said that the roads and drains of the Upazila have been inundated due to an unusual increase in the water level of Panguchi River. Jinia fell into the overflowing drain and drowned, he said. Meanwhile, at least 5,000 families in Sarankhola, Morrelganj and Mongla upazilas have been stranded today as water level in the rivers adjacent to these places have gone up due to the impact of Cyclone Yaas. Besides, an embankment in Mongla was damaged at three places due to excessive tidal pressure leaving at least 500 families stranded in Kainmari, Sundartala, Kaltala, Jaymoni and South Kaimari villages of the upazila on Wednesday afternoon. Also read: Cyclone Yaas: 2 reported dead in Bangladesh Low-lying areas inundated in Khulna Low-lying areas in Koyra, Dacope and Paikgachha upazilas of Khulna were inundated by tidal surge triggered by Cyclone Yaas. The residents of the upazilas have been experiencing light rains or drizzles since Wednesday noon and the local administration has opened over 1,000 cyclone shelters. The local Met Office, meanwhile, recorded 21mm rainfall in the past two days.

Five people were killed on Wednesday after cyclonic storm Yaas hit the coastal area of the eastern Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha, local media reported. The cyclone made landfall with marginally lower intensity with a wind speed of 130-140 km/ph. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone has completed landfall and is likely to move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next six hours. Officials said the high tidal waves breached embankments in West Bengal and Odisha coast, with a total of five deaths reported in the two states on Wednesday. In West Bengal, a youth who had moved to a cyclone shelter in the locality had come out of the shelter in Ramnagar 2 block of East Midnapore when the storm hit and he was drowned, local media reportd said. Two other people are reported to be killed in the coastal town of Digha in West Bengal, with one of them dying in a building collapse and another dragged out to sea, the state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. In the state of Odisha, two deaths have occurred. "One person was killed in Panchapalli village of Keonjhar district in Odisha after a tree fell on him, while the body of a 15-year-old boy was found in a pond at Jagannath Khunta village in Mayurbhanj district," media reports quoted local officials as having said. On Tuesday night two people were also electrocuted in West Bengal's Hooghly district during a tornado ahead of the cyclone. Besides, damages have been reported in both states. Around 20,000 mud houses and temporary shelters were either destroyed or damaged, as seawater entered residential areas and inundated low-lying areas in Digha of West Bengal. In Odisha, trees have been uprooted in Bhadrak district and some areas have been flooded. The local government has warned people to stay indoors as heavy rains are likely to continue. Authorities of Odisha have shifted over half a million people from low-lying areas, while as in West Bengal around 1.15 million people were evacuated from the coastal areas and shifted to rescue shelters. Chief ministers of both states are continuously monitoring the situation and holding review meetings with the disaster management officials. India's federal government has alerted navy teams and the air force to assist the local governments in relief and rescue operations. Meanwhile, 115 teams of India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the affected areas to clear roads of fallen trees and evacuate people from coastal villages and towns. Last week cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc in India's coastal areas, killing many people in Karnataka, Goa and Kerala Maharashtra. At least 70 people were also killed after barge P305 sank off Mumbai due to the cyclone.