REPORTS published in the media on Friday indicated that the flood situation in the country’s north-eastern districts deteriorated, submerging low lands and affecting many people living in different chars and on river banks, due to this week’s rain and major rise in water level at all the major rivers on through Thursday. The water level at seven points in major rivers was flowing above danger level according to information released by Flood Forecast Warning Center (FFWC). Due to surge of floodwater of the Jamuna river, some 60 meters of concrete spurs preventing river erosion at Baniyajan area in Bhandarbari Union in Bogra district collapsed threatening to wash away the erosion prevention projects and at least eight villages around it.
All low lying areas of Bogra, Sirajganj, Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur, Tangail and Netrakona districts and adjacent areas of Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers have been inundated by flood water as it is gushing from the upstream Indian territories. The FFWC forecast said water levels in Brahmputra-Jamuna, Ganges-Padma and Surma-Kushiyara rivers were on the rise. Flood is an annual phenomenon of Bangladesh during monsoon. All the major rivers of the country come from the upstream Indian territories. So heavy rain in North and Eastern India also generates heavy water flow to create devastating flood in the downstream in Bangladesh. India is building its own dams to control its river system ignoring what affects it may cause in Bangladesh during in flood and draughts. So Bangladesh must do everything to control flood by preserving water when it is too much and finding swift way to recede water to the sea when flood is submerging the country and destroying the crops. But it is amply clear that Indian cooperation is essential as part of joint basin management to device ways to dealing with common river with India. But it is not responding so far. According to Indian media reports, there were incessant rains in West Bengal, Assam and other eastern provinces and we must be ready to deal with the floods that may be following soon.
As it appears that Bangladesh is now facing early monsoon and the early flood must work as a signal for bigger precaution to save the people and the crops from bigger devastation. We must have all readiness to face the flood situation and where it has already stuck, relief work must be strengthened to distribute food and drinking water to people displaced by the flood and river erosion. They be also given temporary shelter. Such preparedness must be completed at all places where the risks run too high and mobilization of resources may be difficult at peak flood season.
All low lying areas of Bogra, Sirajganj, Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur, Tangail and Netrakona districts and adjacent areas of Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers have been inundated by flood water as it is gushing from the upstream Indian territories. The FFWC forecast said water levels in Brahmputra-Jamuna, Ganges-Padma and Surma-Kushiyara rivers were on the rise. Flood is an annual phenomenon of Bangladesh during monsoon. All the major rivers of the country come from the upstream Indian territories. So heavy rain in North and Eastern India also generates heavy water flow to create devastating flood in the downstream in Bangladesh. India is building its own dams to control its river system ignoring what affects it may cause in Bangladesh during in flood and draughts. So Bangladesh must do everything to control flood by preserving water when it is too much and finding swift way to recede water to the sea when flood is submerging the country and destroying the crops. But it is amply clear that Indian cooperation is essential as part of joint basin management to device ways to dealing with common river with India. But it is not responding so far. According to Indian media reports, there were incessant rains in West Bengal, Assam and other eastern provinces and we must be ready to deal with the floods that may be following soon.
As it appears that Bangladesh is now facing early monsoon and the early flood must work as a signal for bigger precaution to save the people and the crops from bigger devastation. We must have all readiness to face the flood situation and where it has already stuck, relief work must be strengthened to distribute food and drinking water to people displaced by the flood and river erosion. They be also given temporary shelter. Such preparedness must be completed at all places where the risks run too high and mobilization of resources may be difficult at peak flood season.
