Embankments turn into shelters

Flood victims affected by water-borne diseases

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Staff Reporter :
The flood affected people are surviving fighting with hardship taking shelter on boats or on embankments for the last two weeks. Two women died of drowning in flood water at Islampur in Jamalpur and one child died at Rupganj in Narayanganj.
At least 39 children died due to the flood at Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajganj and Gaibandha within a week. Among the dead, 36 children, aged between seven and eight, died of drowning in the flood water and three died on snake bite.
The medical team working in the affected area said, 2499 people have been given primary treatment due
 to Diarrhea, suffocation, snakebite, skin diseases and ophthalmology.
Of them, 935 people have been suffering from diarrhea, 259 in suffocation, 114 skin diseases, 151 on ophthalmology. Four have taken treatment for snakebite.
Dr Ayesha Akter, in-charge, National Crisis Management Center and Disease Control of Health Department said, the risk of death drowning in flood water is rising.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged all to came forward to help the distressed people in the flood affected areas. She was speaking at a programme at Krishibid Institution in the capital on the eve of National Tree Plantation Day.
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said, actions will be taken against those if any complaint arises about the distribution of relief in the flood affected areas.
“Around 14 lakh people in 16 districts have been affected by flood,” he said.
“If any question arises about the distribution of relief among the affected people stern actions will taken against them. It is our moral duty to help the helpless,” he said.
The experts opined that the flood situation will last a longer this year as the huge rainfall recorded at the Himalayas and its surrounding areas. The tidal flow of this rain water will down fall through North-Eastern part of the county.
The Padma on the West, the Mohananda on the North, the Atrai, the Punarbova, the Teesta, the Dharla, the Brahmaputra, the Surma-Kushiyara on the East, Sari, Piyain and Jadukata in border area are flowing heavy current of down fall water. This down trend of the water flowing to the Bay of Bengal flooded new areas in the country.
The mountainous water fall causes storage of sand which blocked the river path of the Meghna, Dhalewari, Lohalia and Sangu. The disruption of water flow through these rivers causes flood in the adjacent areas. The heavy currents are breaking the dam and embankments of the river basin.
In Munshiganj, hundreds of thousands of people have been marooned in 40 villages for sudden flood and down fall water from mountains. The river banks are in danger for heavy current in the river.
The Water Development Board (WDB) sources said, the water level rose 10 CM above danger level in last 24 hours. The rise of water is continuous in last few days. If the water rising trend continue like this, the district will face a horrible situation.
Many families at Chilmari in Kurigram have taken shelter on boats with their family members. The family members include children. The families are passing horrible life on boats under open sky and on heavy current. They tied their boats with trees and passing time anxiously. They fear that any accident could happen anytime. They are living in remote areas in the district where they could not get any high area to take shelter.
Some dead domestic animals have been seen floating on the water causing death due to flood. Domestic birds like duck and other fisheries flooded by water. The villagers let them go as they did not have any place to give them shelter. The domestic animals added extra burden for them.
Our Sylhet Correspondent adds: The river erosion turns serious in Sylhet Sadar. According to upazila office sources, during the last few days the incessant rainfall further rise the water level in the river and inundated two unions. Five hundred people have been rendered homeless. The most affected unions are Mugolgaon and Tukerbazar. Many people are now living under open sky. The flood water has submerged their homestead.
The sources said the erosion is still continuing. Some educational institutions, including Madrasah, government primary school and mosque, have come under threat. Upazila officials, local chairman, UNO visited the affected areas.
Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) sources said, the Bhramaputra-the Jamuna and the Surma-the Kushiyara are in falling state, the Ganges is in steady state while the Padma is in rising state. The Brahmapurtra-the Jamuna and the Surma-the Kushiyara may continue to fall in next 72 hours.
The flood situation is likely to improve in low lands adjacent to the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna rivers at Gaibandh, Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Bogra.
The Padma is likely to rise in next 48 hours, which may cause slightly deterioration of flood situation in low lands adjacent to Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Sariatpur districts.
The Buriganga, the Balu, the Lakhya rivers around Dhaka city are in rising trend and they likely to continue in next 24 hours.

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