Govt relief inadequate as flooding worsens

The overall flood situation in the country worsened further on Friday, inundating homesteads, croplands and damaging roads, river banks and embankments in many districts for the last 10 days.
The floods, caused by on-rush of upstream water from India, left millions of people to suffer immensely without food and drinking water as the government reliefs were allegedly too inadequate.
Affected people and local representatives called for more foods, medicines and drinking waters for the flood-hit areas.
According to disaster management and relief ministry press release issued on Thursday, about 4,350 tonnes of food grains and 5,667 packets of different relief products were sent to some 15 affected districts.
The ministry asked the disaster management department to release 6,000 tonnes of rice and Tk 5.50 crore in cash for the flood-hit areas, said the release.
On an emergency basis, the ministry was also sending drinking water and water purification tablets for distribution in the affected areas.
Flood forecast warning centre said flood situation might deteriorate during the next 24 hours in some parts of low lands adjacent to the Rivers Brahmaputra and the Jamuna in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Serajganj while flood situation in low lands near the Ganges-Padma rivers at Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariotpur might deteriorate during the next 48 hours.
Flood situation in the River Dharla at Kurigram and the Surma in Sunamganj may improve in the next 24 hours, the FFWC said.

People move their belongings amid Water Development Board efforts to protect an embankment at Sadar upazila in Sirajganj from erosion by the River Jamuna on Friday. — New Age photo

Besides, the Rivers Buriganga, the Balu, the Lakhya around Dhaka city were in rising trend, which may continue for the next 48 hours. At least 19 stations on major rivers were flowing above the danger marks on Friday.
New Age correspondent in Kurigram reported that overall flood situation worsened in the district, marooning more than five lakh people.
The flood situation worsened in Nageswari, Phulbari, Roumari, Chilmari, Rajibpur and Kurigram sadar upazila.
New areas were flooded daily with the rise in flood water and all the rural roads went under water. Scarcity of pure drinking water is prevailing as most of the tube wells went under flood water.
Various water-borne diseases have spread in the areas.
Kuigram district relief and rehabilitation officials said 728 villages of 57 unions were hit with flood, leaving some 1,50,586 families affected.
A total of 19 educational and religious institutes were damaged fully while 193 partially and 7,123 hectares of land and standing crops on 2,6695 hectares were damaged. Two people including a woman drowned.
New Age correspondent in Jamalpur reported that floods in seven upazilas of the district continued to worsen as the River Jamuna was flowing 121 cm above the danger mark at Bahadurabad Ghat point as of Friday afternoon.
The rise in water level of the river broke the record of 1988 floods in the district, which was 112cm over the danger mark, said Nabakumar Choudhary, executive engineer of the WDB.
Over three lakh people in 48 unions in the district were marooned due to worsening flood situation, said district administration sources.
A total of 9,940 hectares of croplands in the flood-hit upazilas got inundated, said the Department of Agriculture Extension.
A total of 267 tonnes of rice and 2,700 packets of dry foods were distributed among the flood-hit people of the affected upazilas until Thursday while 300 tonnes of rice and 2000 packets of dry foods were being distributed among the flood-hit until Friday afternoon, said Shahabuddin Khan, deputy commissioner of Jamalpur.
Meanwhile, UP chairmen of Islampur and Madarganj upazilas claimed that the amount of relief materials provided by the district administration was too inadequate.
New Age correspondent in Lalmonirhat reported that crops in the chars were damaged and local people urged for more food, medicine and drinking water.
New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that some ferries on the Shimulia-Kowrakandi route remained closed due to heavy current in the Padma.
New Age correspondent in Sirajganj reported that about 370 tonnes of rice were distributed as there were several lakh people affected by the flood.
The relief was quite inadequate, alleged the victims.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net