REPORT published in a national daily on Sunday said 85 primary schools in Sunamganj district have suspended teaching for the last one week due to heavy flooding as water is rushing from upstream Indian hills. The situation is also turning precarious at Sylhet, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajgonj, Nilphamari, Pabna, Kurigram and part of Faridpur.
Flood in Surma basin does not depend on local rainfall. Similarly Jamuna-Brahmaputra and Padma-Ganges basin is also affected by heavy rainfall in up the stream Indian territory. So, if heavy water flow continues all major rivers will cross danger mark to make the situation worse.
Meanwhile river erosion has devoured last land to Padma at Charbhadrashan, Bogra and some other areas making homeless thousands of people who need food, shelter and drinking water along with thousands in other flood affected areas. More than half million people have become marooned, crops destroyed in the field, homes partially damaged and scarcity of high land to protect animals has become a serious problem in this situation.
It appears that schools and colleges in most flood affected areas have suspended regular academic activities as it become risky for students to reach the academic institutions. But since mist of them have submerged, their rehabilitation would be a gigantic task for that the educatioin directorate must be ready.
Water Development Board (WDB) sources said the flood situation may further deteriorate because India has already opened the dam at Gazaldoba on Teesta river in the upstream of Bangladesh border. The monsoon rain has already started in Bangladesh and the onrush of water from India is poising the big threat for major flooding in the country.
We must ask the government to monitor the flood situation without respite and arrange speedy distribution of relief goods to affected people who are trying to live at temporary shelters. Rehabilitation materials for the homeless people from flood and river erosion must reach there as soon as flood water will recede. They would also need seeds and fertilizer to plant new crops and agricultural extension officials must be vigilant everywhere to give assistance to farmers as they would need. More important is concern about public health. Waterborne disease may hit most people while diarrhea and such other sickness may appear in anaemic form. In our view concerned government agencies must be high on alert to stand by the people both at the time of high flood and afterwards. Saving people, their property and helping them to plant new crop in the field must be high on the card until flood will recede to help people to start normal work at the field.
