The overall flood conditions in the country have worsened because of heavy rainfall in last few days, posing threats to health, education, communication and agriculture sectors in different districts. The rural flood victims had been suffering from acute food, shelter and drinking water crisis because of the flood.
Vast tracts of farmlands in Feni went under water as heavy rain, onrush of water from the upstream and the breakdown of the dam curbing the Muhuri River created the recent flood in the area, our Feni correspondent reports.
Feni Agricultural Development Corporation sources said around 15,000 hectare farmlands were inundated, while the farmers claimed that their losses were heavier than that. The farmers also alleged that the dam was damaged because of negligence on the part of the Water Development Board.
Farhad Hossain, additional assistant director of Feni Agricultural Development Corporation, said the farmers were advised to cultivate BR 20, BR 23 or BR 28 to cover their losses. Proper evaluation of the farmers’ losses would be prepared soon, he added.
In Gaibandha, around 25,000 families had been marooned, communication system had been disrupted and several educational institutions were shut down because of the increase in water level in the rivers of the district, our Gaibandha correspondent reports.
Gaibandha Water Development Board Executive Engineer Abdul Awal said although the water level in the Ghaghot River decreased by 10cm, it was flowing 15cm above the danger level, while the water level in the Korotoa River had increased by 4cm in last 24 hours.
District education officials said a total of 20 educational institutions – 16 primary schools and four high schools – were shut down temporarily because of the worsening flood condition in the district.
It is alleged that flood relief and aids were not adequate in the flood affected areas. Kapasia Union Parishad Chairman Mojnu Mia said only 450 families out of 3,000 flood affected families got flood aids in his area.
In Chittagong, around 1,000 hectare Aman seedbed, 7,500 hectare half-ripen paddy fields and homesteads at Mirsarai upazila went under water caused due to incessant one-week-long downpour, reports our Mirsarai correspondent. Moreover, most of the rural roads in the upazila were washed away, leaving the communication system badly disrupted.
Confirming the flood condition in the upazila, Mirsarai Agricultural Extension official Kazi Nurul Alam said the farmers would incur more losses, unless the flood condition improved soon.
Our Tangail correspondent reports that some cracks had developed in the district flood protection embankment in Mohela area of Kalihati upazila due to river erosion brought about by last week’s heavy rainfall.
The local water development board officials were trying to check the erosion by felling sand laden bags.
Tangail WDB Executive Engineer Joity Prosad Gosh said they were trying their best to check the erosion.
Meanwhile, our Jamalpur correspondent reports that overall flood condition in the district remained unchanged since last 24 hours.
Though the water level in the Jamuna River decreased by 5cm at the Bahadurabad point, the water level was still 31cm above the danger level, sources said.
Because of the continuous rainfall for last six days, over 15 villages and some other urban areas were submerged, leaving thousands of people marooned in water.
The people of the affected areas had been suffering from acute drinking water crisis, while a total of 101 educational institutions in the district were shut down temporarily because of the flood.
Jamalpur Civil Surgeon Dr Hafizur Rahman said total 77 medical teams were working in the affected areas to provide medical services.
On the other hand, flood situation remained unchanged in Kurigram too, though water receded by 3cm in the Brahmaputra River yesterday.
Around two lakh people had been marooned in the flood water at nine upazilas of the district for eighth consecutive days.
Under different government and non-government initiatives, relief and aids were being distributed among the affected people, but the amount of aid was too little for such large number of people, our Kurigram correspondent reports.
Bajra Union Parishad Chairman Rezaul Karim Amin said at least 10,000 people had been marooned in flood water for last eight days. Of them, around 5,000 people were too poor to afford food during such crucial time, he added.
Regarding the shortage of aids, the chairman said: “I have got only one and a half tonne rice, which can be doled out to 150 people only.”
Kurigram Deputy Commissioner ABM Azad said he had allocated 250 tonne rice and Tk2 lakh, which was now being distributed in the district. More allocations would follow, he added.
