DURING the monsoon, plain lands of Bangladesh go under water due to natural rainfall and increased downstream water flow in several trans-boundary rivers from neighbouring India. In summer and winter, the mighty rivers turn into virtual deserts as India diverts water flow by withdrawing water in the upstream. In reality, by controlling water flow India hugely controls the life patters, particularly the agriculture of Bangladeshis. To put it simply, rivers have been the sources of our livelihood, agriculture, and economy for centuries. But for the past decades, India has been in control of hydro-resources of Bangladesh.
This year the water flow of the Teesta, Dharla and Surma rivers rose sharply due to heavy downpour and onrush of water released by India, inundating over 200 villages in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Sunamganj and Sherpur districts in the last couple of days. The inundation has left over two lakh people marooned in the three districts. Vast areas under Sirajganj, Bogra, Tangail and Jamalpur districts have been inundated in the last couple of days due to the swirling up of water levels of Jamuna and Padma rivers. Meanwhile, people living at Teesta Barrage and adjoining areas were evacuated as the authorities had issued red alert there, reports a national daily. Officials of Water Development Board in Sunamganj said water levels at different points of the Surma River would cross the danger level in 72 hours if the rain continued.
This time the Teesta water is flowing 25 centimeters above the danger level at Teesta Barrage point in Dowani village of Hatibandha upazila while the river Dharla is 2cm above the danger level at Nun Khawa Ghat point in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Fearing danger, local authorities have already shifted over 4,000 families of ten villages in the area. In Sherpur onrush of upstream water from Meghalaya State of India and heavy rainfall inundated lower parts of the district.
Floodwaters have washed away hundreds of houses, damaged crops of over a hundred hectares of lands in the flood-hit districts and rendered more than millions of people marooned, and the situation is worsening quickly as almost all the rivers in the country’s north saw their water levels increase. Thousands of people in Sunamganj, Feni and Sherpur districts have also been marooned due to incessant rains and the onrush of water from the upstream rivers in India over the last few days. That is the country is under threat of a devastating flood.
The hapless people have been passing nights and days under the open sky without food, shelter, medicine and essentials. No large-scale aid program was taken to rehabilitate the flood victims. The affected farmers will need real agro-rehabilitation package to get back to normal life and also to cover up the losses.
We also hope that the government should convince India not to act selfishly by releasing the overflowing water when it is not needed. We also suggest that only ad-hoc relief measures will not be enough.
