Unending floods force many to float in boats

With slow draining of floodwater and the likelihood of monsoon rain picking up in the coming days, these floating people, like the tens of thousands stuck at flood shelters, are unsure about their return home anytime soon.

The monsoon deluge is likely to linger and these floating people preferred staying close to their residences in boats over suffering the subhuman condition at flood shelters crammed with people and livestock.

As of Friday, more than one lakh people stayed at nearly 1,000 flood shelters in 10 northern and north-eastern districts, mainly in Sylhet division, while tens of thousands lived in roadside tents or under the open sky on embankments or in boats.

‘Staying in a boat is not a desirable way of living,’ said Asma Khatun, a resident of Char Falimari, a shoal by the Dharla River in Lalmonirhat, referring to their new way of living in which the boat is the centre of all daily activities from sleeping to cooking to defecating.

Asma, her husband Jhantu Miah and their four children are used to living on land exposed to frequent flooding but do not find it comfortable living in a small boat a parts of which is separated by a piece of cloth for using it as toilet.

Their house was first of the places to go under water as the monsoon deluge hit on June 16 following days of extreme rain both in the upstream across the border in India and inside  Bangladesh.

Muhammad Amirul Haq Bhuiya, who leads the Water Development Board’s operations in the northern zone, estimated that at least 43,000 people were living in boats in the area under his supervision.

The floating life in boats is better with regard to the mobility it offers as unlike people stranded in submerged houses or stuck at flood shelters people living in boats can travel searching for relief materials, which are far short in supply than needed.

But the floating life comes with its disadvantages which includ the risk of being drowned, particularly in the north-eastern haor region where inclement weather could give rise to formidable high and strong waves.

There were many families who began living in boats as soon as the flood hit and even shared it with families having nowhere to seek shelter.

With forecasts of the Brahmaputra not receding and the Jamuna swelling further through today, the flood situation is expected to worsen in the five flood-affected northern districts — Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari.

Floods have already forced about two lakh people out of their houses onto roads and embankments in the districts with nearly 19,000 flood victims housed at government shelters.

At least six lakh people have been affected by the fresh flooding since Wednesday, according to the office of the Rangpur divisional commissioner.

Between Thursday and Friday, the WDB reported that 553 houses were washed away in the five districts while three flood protection embankments collapsed.

The Rangpur divisional commissioner’s office also confirmed three more deaths from being crushed under houses on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as Asia Khatun, 52, of Lalmonirhat, Jel Hossain, 62, of Rangpur, and Nahid, 6, of Kurigram.

Centrally, the Directorate General of Health Services reported on Friday that the overall flood death toll in phases of the flash floods since May climbed to 95.

In Sylhet division, parts of which have endured three flash floods since early April, 88,221 people are still living at government flood shelters, with the levels of major rivers of the region falling slightly between Thursday and Friday mornings.

Tens of thousands of flood victims continued to live without electricity in many upazilas of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Habiganj districts, with very limited access to relief and drinking water.

Despite fall in water levels, the Kuhisyara flowed 102 cm above its danger level at Fenchuganj, 84 cm above the danger level at Amalshid and 32 cm above the danger level at Sheola as of 9:00am on Friday, according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre.

Besides, the Surma flowed 64 cm above its danger limit at Kanaighat while the Dharla, Brahmaputra, Baulai, Old Surma and Someshwari continued to flow above their danger marks at different points.

Of the 109 river-gauging stations, 41 recorded fall in water levels, the flood warning centre said, adding that the Padma may keep swelling over the next 48 hours.

The Central Water Commission of India reported on its website severe flooding at 16 points along the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Barak rivers in the upstream of Bangladesh in Assam, Meghalaya and Bihar, flowing about one metre above their danger marks at places.

At 16 other places, the rivers flowed very close to their danger marks, the CWC data showed, with chances of some of the water levels rising depending on rain.

An India Meteorological department forecast said that widespread rain was likely in Bangladesh’s upstream over the next five days.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department warned of widespread rain at many places in the country’s coastal region as well as Sylhet division until 6:00pm today.

New York-based humanitarian information portal ReliefWeb on Friday reported that 90 lakh people were rendered homeless in recent flash floods in Bangladesh while 75,000 hectares of paddy and 30,000 hectares of other crops were damaged.

The flood has so far caused Tk 127.54 crore worth of damage to agriculture, affecting more than 8,000 farmers, reported New Age correspondent in Kurigram.

Crops on 15,851 hectares have been damaged in Kurigram district.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/174854/unending-floods-force-many-to-float-in-boats