• Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Kushtia most affected by flash floods

TDS Desk:

Incessant rains and onrush of upstream water from India’s Assam have worsened flood situation in at least four districts of the country – Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Kushtia, and Rajbari – as the weather office urges river ports in 15 areas to hoist cautionary signal no 1.

Water levels of Padma river and Jamuna-Brahmaputra rivers on Friday further rose past danger levels inundating new areas in the already affected districts.

Among the four affected districts, Sirajganj’s situation is particularly concerning with over one lakh people marooned for nearly 15 days. Eight people have died across the district in the ongoing flood, which is set to continue as the Jamuna river’s water level is set to keep rising over the next couple of days.

Many among the affected people are unable to afford three meals a day, as the district’s predominant day labourer community has had no work for the past two weeks. Diarrhea and other water-borne diseases are spreading, and hungry children have started losing weight, locals told reporters.

To add to the crisis, every day, new residences and agricultural land are being washed out by the strong currents in areas namely Khasrajbari, Kawakola, Bhooter Morh, Panchil and Koijuri.

Locals alleged that, the Water Development Board (WDB) is doing nothing to resist river erosion except formal visiting to different affected areas and assuring locals to take necessary steps within short time. Except media coverage in favour of WDB officials, victims are getting nothing from WDB officials, many agitating victims of Panchil village in Shahzadpur upazila of the district complained.

WDB officials declined the allegation and claimed that, they are trying to protect erosion affected areas by dumping Geosacks and Geotubes. Besides, they are always monitoring flood situation and providing update information to concerned high-ups including newsmen.

But, the effort to alleviate sufferings of the flood and erosion affected people in five upazilas of the district is underway by the district administration under strong supervision of Deputy Commissioner Mir Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman.

The district’s relief and rehabilitation officer Md Akteruzzaman in Sirajganj told that, “About 133 tonnes of rice, 300 packets of dry food and cash Tk 5 lakh have been distributed among the flood victims, but the people claim the relief items are grossly inadequate to meet the growing demand.”

In this circumstance, the high-ups authorities should increase the allocation for the affected people in which they can survive during this disaster.

Affected people of the district urged the authorities concerned to allocate adequate relief materials after producing correct list of the victims. Meanwhile, the lists of the victims have been sought by the district administration from different public representatives including Chairmen in a view to allocate relief for them.

Next on the list of worst affected district is Jamalpur, where nearly two lakh people were left stranded in flood waters as of Friday. Water levels in Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers fell significantly in the three days through 10 July, but on Friday started rising again.

Many roads, residences as well as 8,000-hectare agricultural lands have remained underwater in the district for at least a week. About 19 community clinics, 259 primary schools and 88 high schools have stayed shut.

People have lost means of livelihood and are unable to afford three meals a day as well as medical treatment required to address a rising trend of water-borne diseases among different households.

The Jamalpur water development board has said the water in Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers would keep rising over the next days.

Ever strengthening Padma river and Gorai river have caused river erosion across 11 points in Kushtia district washing away large numbers of semi-puccha houses, roads and farmlands.

Kushtia Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer Rashidur Rahman told reporters allocations have been asked to procure geo bags. The purchase would be made soon and then the geo bags would be dropped at erosion points to address the crisis, he assured.

A local lawmaker said the government has already approved construction of a permanent river protection dam at Kushtia’s Talitabari area. The construction would start as soon as the rainy season ends, ensuring there would be no river erosion on the right side of Padma from next year.

River erosions have also started in low-lying areas near the river protection dam in Daulatdia as water levels rose past the danger level by 3 centimeters on Friday.

Rajbari relief and rehabilitation officer Syed Ariful Haque said the district administration is prepared to tackle the upcoming flood with 12 shelters, 600 tonnes of rice and Tk12 lakh.