Flood waters receding, people still suffering

Dhaka: Although the overall flood situation in six northern districts started to improve, people in the flood-hit areas are still passing their days amid immense sufferings for lack of adequate food, shelter and safe water.

Many of the flood victims are passing days under open sky as their houses were damaged or washed away by floodwater.

Besides, huge crop lands were submerged by floodwater while river erosion has taken a serious turn in different parts of the country adding woes to the flood-hit people.

According to the reports reaching the UNB desk till Sunday evening: the water levels of Surma and Kushiara in Sylhet district and Padma, Arialkha, Kumar and Madhumoti in Faridpur and Jamuna in Bogra districts have continued to rise due to onrush of water from the upstream and rainfall in India. The Brahmaputra, Teesta, Jamuna, Ghaghot and Korotoa in Gaibandha have been flowing under the danger level.

In Kurigram, floodwater started to recede, triggering river erosion in some areas.

At least 200 families lost their homes over the last two days in three upazilas of the district while 200 houses of Razibpur, Rajarhat and Chilmari upazilas were washed away due to river erosion, said district administration officials.

The flood-affected people have been facing scarcity of pure drinking water.

Asia Begum, 27, wife of Alam Miah, a resident of Barisal Char in Chilmari upazila, died from a snake bite on Saturday afternoon, raising the death toll to four during the flood.

The district administration has been making a list of flood-hit people to distribute relief materials, said deputy commissioner Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan.

In Sirajganj, flood situation remained unchanged as the water of the Jamuna River was flowing 68 centimetres above the danger mark on Sunday morning.

People of the district have been suffering for lack of pure drinking water and fuel as the relief materials that reached the area so far are inadequate to meet the shortfall.

The residents of Shahzadpur, Chouhali and Kazipur upazilas are the worst sufferers as river erosion took serious turn there with floodwater receding.

District Relief and rehabilitation office, said distribution of relief materials and water purifying tablets has been continuing in five upazilas of the district while 363 mts rice and Tk 9 lakh were distributed among the flood-affected people.

In Gaibandha, the overall flood situation of the district is improving as the waters of all the rivers have started receding on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya announced that the government will establish shelters in all the unions of 17 flood-prone districts.

He made the announcement while attending a discussion meeting over flood situation at the conference room of the deputy commissioner of the district.

Already, the government has allocated 6100 mts rice, Tk 1.55 crore in cash and 39,000 packets of dry food among the flood-affected people.

The minister also distributed relief materials in different parts of Phulchari upazila.

In Sylhet, the water of Surma and Kushiara rivers were flowing over the red mark following the incessant rainfall in Assam, India and onrush of water from the upstream.

According to the control room of Sylhet Water Development Board, the water of Surma is flowing 63 centimetres above danger level in Kanaighat point while the water of Kushiara is flowing 93 centimetres above the danger mark at Sheula point, 133 cm at Amalshid point, and 13 cm at Sherpur point on Sunday.

The overall flood situation across nine upazilas of the district-Jakiganj, Bianibazar, Golapganj, Fenchuganj, Balaganj, Osmaninagar, Biswanath, Companyganj and parts of Kanaighat upazila - has been improving.

In Bogra, the water of Jamuna River is flowing 37 centimetres above the danger level, said sources at local Water Development Board.

Though the floodwater started to recede but the residents of the flood-hit areas in three upazilas of the district---Sariaknadi, Dhunat and Shonatal-- could not return to their home as many roads were inundated by the flood water.

In Faridpur, many low-lying areas were flooded afresh in five upazilas of the district as the Padma river is flowing 23 centimeters above the danger mark.