People of Kurigram face triple blow of flood, erosion, and rain

Golzar Hossain, a labourer from Chilmari upazila, had to evacuate his home and take refuge with his wife and children at the Matikata- Ramnaghat road intersection in the first phase of the floods this season.

For the last two weeks he has been living there with his family and this last Sunday afternoon that road was inundated as well.

It was pouring till early Sunday morning, where many like Golzar's family had been living on the waterlogged roads with tents made of polythene and cloth.

Golzar’s wife said they are struggling to manage three meals a day. She has been cooking on a borrowed stove and the struggle is worsened by a crisis of no toilets.

Similar sentiments were expressed by labourer Ashraful Alam Mukul who is also suffering in the rain and floods with his family. Thousands of other families are suffering quite the same.

Around 80% of Rowmari upazila has been flooded, and people rendered destitute in the upazila took shelter on the Dhaka-Rowmari road.One of them is Noor Hossain.

Noor is currently camping out on the road in Golabari of Jadurchar union with his wife and three children. He said no relief has been provided to him in the four days or so that he has been living on the road.

"On the one hand there is floodwater, and then there is rain. I don't have any money, nor have I received any relief support. I am in great trouble with my children," said Noor.

Muddy water and an unhygienic environment have engulfed the flood-affected people in Kurigram, at a time when cleanliness is most essential because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even open spaces on higher ground such as roads and embankments aren't ready to support the poor, as rain and erosion won't leave them anytime soon.

The agriculture weather monitoring station in Rajarhat upazila recorded 120mm of rain until 9am on Sunday, said the station’s in-charge, Subol Chandra Sarkar. He added that Kurigram may again be hit by heavy rains in the next two days.

As floodwaters wash away the homes of many, and erosion takes people's land, a few hundred families in the district are living in great misery. Hundreds of thousands are in dire need due to the financial losses they have incurred due to the floods.

Countless people who have taken shelter on different roads in Chilmari, Rajibpur, and Rowmari unions of Rowmari upazila, are hungry and in fear of an ever worsening situation with their children and domesticated animals.

Water Development Board Executive Engineer, Md Ariful Islam, says the floods may worsen very soon due to the rains in the coming few days. 

"The flood control embankment may fall into a bit of a risk due to the prolonged flooding. But we are monitoring the situation and are prepared to do our best in this regard," Ariful added.

The Brahmaputra and Dharla rivers have been flowing above the danger lines until Sunday morning in Kurigram and the swelling of the rivers may increase further due to incessant rainfall, continued the WDB engineer.

Hafizur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner of the district, said relief allocation has been requested and will be distributed when it arrives, among people affected by the floods.