Floodwaters have drowned a large part of the country’s eastern border since August 20. Feni, Comilla, Chittagong, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur, and Cox’s Bazar districts have been battling with excessive floodwaters and all the miseries that flooding brings since then.
At the beginning of the floods, the challenge for the volunteers was to rescue the stranded people and their cattle and take them to shelters. After that, another spell of challenges was met through relief efforts by various organizations and the government. People in shelters have ever since thought about their abandoned houses.
Experts say the real challenge will begin now when these people start going back to their houses as water has been receding from various districts. Rehabilitation and maintaining hygiene after the floodwaters recede will be the main challenges, they say.
The overall flood situation in Bangladesh has improved. The water level at three points of the Khoai, Manu, and Feni rivers has already fallen below the danger level. Besides, the three points of the Kushiara River where the water is currently flowing above the danger level are also expected to decrease. However, fresh fears have emerged since Monday due to a red alert for floods in India. Many people fear that the situation may deteriorate in some places.
According to official data, at least 11 districts in the north-eastern, eastern, and south-eastern regions have been affected by the floods in the past few days, leaving around four million people stranded. The people of Feni, Comilla, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Chittagong districts have been affected the most.
When asked about the post-flood challenges, M. Inamul Haque, former director general of the River Research Institute,said that infrastructure and rehabilitation are the main challenges ahead. Most houses are dilapidated and need to be rebuilt as soon as possible. At the same time, the number of canals that are in danger of being closed due to floods should be excavated and drained quickly because it cannot be said that the floods are over this year, he added.
Talking about rehabilitation, he noted that proper guidelines are necessary in this regard for the areas that have been severely affected. There needs to be a plan. where the young people who are engaged in relief work will contribute to rebuilding the houses of these affected, distressed, and marginalized families.
“We have seen our unity as a nation. Now our focus is on rehabilitation,” he said.
Experts say that contaminated water from excessive flooding can spread pathogens indoors, including yards. In addition to being careful, the floors, furniture, door handles, and water taps must be disinfected. Care should be taken to ensure that adequate air can circulate in the houses. If not, the health of the people returning home from the shelter will be at risk.
Delowar Jahan, a farmer and local coordinator of natural agriculture, said that he is preparing seeds for distribution among farmers so that once they return to the fields, they can start cultivating crops quickly.
Sharing his plans for the local community, Delowar said: “First of all, we should learn to think of floods as a positive thing for agriculture. Flooding in areas that have not been flooded for a long time means that the soil will be fertile. After the water recedes, we must take advantage of this fertile land with paddy cultivation that can be sown in this mud. The yield of lentils will also be good in this soil. All kinds of vegetables will grow well in the soil after the floodwaters recede. And after the water recedes, we will discover that motherfish have left plenty of eggs in the small ponds. The fisheries department can think about how to take care of them. This opportunity should be used by removing old-fashioned ideas like killing everything in the water bodies with poison. At the same time, there is a danger of cattle becoming malnourished, which needs to be looked into.”
The government yesterday said the death toll in the flood this month rose to 27.
According to the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, as many as 56,19,375 people have been affected by the floods in 541 unions and municipalities under 74 upazilas in 11 districts.
