Floods are a given reality of the country. Thus, it is good to see the government focus on them and draft up preventive measures for constituents like Sylhet in the upcoming Delta Plan. The preventive plan includes measures such as the immediate dredging of the elevated mudbanks of the rivers that are situated in the region. Given the propensity of the district to go through the worst of floods, this is a timely and necessary proposal. The government has also shown foresight in aiming to complete all projects involving capital dredging and the like by 2031.
This year, Sylhet is experiencing the worst pre-monsoon floods in 18 years. The embankment built in 2004 at the confluence of the rivers in the region collapsed on Thursday, washing away vast swaths of croplands and damaging homesteads and other vital organizations. Things have deteriorated to the point where the authorities have announced the closure of educational institutions and life has come to a standstill.
These are regular repercussions that we face as a nation when we are hit with floods. The fact that we are still suffering from such issues is frankly shameful and unjustifiable.
The fact that the issue of river dredging as a priority task was discussed at Sunday’s meeting of the Delta Governing Council is a step in the right direction. But we are still in the planning phase of the initiative. Dredging is a risky business, and if anything goes wrong, we will be in worse trouble than the one we are trying to fix in the first place.
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The government has to commit to the date of 2031, and they have to do it seriously. They also have to carry out relevant research throughout the country with the help of stakeholders, as Sylhet is not the only district to suffer from such floods. Due to global warming, the whole geography of the country is at the risk of being changed. We have to be prepared.