Editorial Desk :
New floods of unprecedented dimension; which is third in around four months have inundated at least 20 districts and nine more are at high risk of inundation mainly at northeast and northern part of the country. As per experts such floods are mainly resulting from erratic weather condition and they fear it may take serious turn if torrential rains continue to break records of even past 30 years. However rescue and relief measures are scarce so far adding growing concerns how people will overcome the situation.
Meanwhile, all major rivers like Padma, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ganges, Surma and Kushiyara are flowing above danger levels. Water level in Teesta receded but still flowing above danger level. Heavy monsoon rains in northeast Indian state of Assam and Nepal along with Bangladesh in the past several days inundated vast swath of land in all three countries. It puts the simple message that floods are inter-state problem that no one can solve unilaterally.
Gushing floodwater has already washed away many lives in the affected districts in Bangladesh forcing people to evacuate homes and take shelter in schools and government buildings. But given the scale of devastation and the number of homeless people the government relief efforts are almost non-existent except tall talks by government ministers and officials of the Department of Disaster Management.
People need food, medicine and pure drinking water at this moment more than anything else. Its shortage in flood-affected areas is poising risk of big humanitarian crisis. At most places tube-wells have been submerged creating scarcity of safe drinking water adding risk to spread of diarrhea and other water borne diseases. Availability of staple has been threatened by lack of cash in the hands of the poor and lack of access to marketplaces as roads have been washed away and markets at many places also have been submerged.
The government claim that the Department of Disaster Management has so far opened 562 flood shelters and rescued 4,950 families appear just a peanut given the number of homeless families, as per government report so far at 1,28,759 in major flood-hit districts. In fact the number of homeless are quite big and growing every day while the official statistics of finding shelter to displaced persons apparently seems to be exaggerated.
We demand that the government must mobilize the local administration and trained rescue teams immediately to stand by the affected people as complaints of scarcity of assistance and absence of other support to people struggling to survive running high. The concerned Minister said the government has enough food and supplies and not a single person will starve. It is appreciable but the question is who will control the supply chain.
Party men and dealers spare no opportunity to deprive the people in need. Floods and such other calamities bring opportunity to many to make illegal fortune and the crucial point is how to reach food and other supplies uninterrupted to the affected people.
Meanwhile Aman plantation in all flood-affected districts has been destroyed at a late plantation season. Many fear it may seriously affect harvest this year at a time when the country is already facing food shortage forcing the government to import at least 1.5 million tonnes of rice. Floods in May this year destroyed much of the Boro harvest and any loss of Aman crop may further aggravate the food shortage that the country saw never before in the past two decades.
Reports said at most places flood embankments have been broken and death of young ones from drowning is shocking. In the affected districts livestock is facing existential problem for lack of dry place and fodder. What is more alarming is the renewed fear of deaths and destruction from landslide in heavy rains particularly in Rangamati and Bandarban hill districts where floods are spreading.
At least 150 people were killed two months ago in massive landslide when another flood amidst monsoon downpour savaged the areas. The administration has to show competence to ally miseries of the people. This government has made the people most helpless. It is a shame.
As per weather forecast light to moderate rain throughout Bangladesh will continue till Tuesday and it means flood situation may further aggravate.
Currently, the inundated districts include northern districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Naogaon, Sylhet belt’s Sylhet and Sunamganj, and Chittagong belt’s Rangamati and Khagrachhari.
New floods of unprecedented dimension; which is third in around four months have inundated at least 20 districts and nine more are at high risk of inundation mainly at northeast and northern part of the country. As per experts such floods are mainly resulting from erratic weather condition and they fear it may take serious turn if torrential rains continue to break records of even past 30 years. However rescue and relief measures are scarce so far adding growing concerns how people will overcome the situation.
Meanwhile, all major rivers like Padma, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ganges, Surma and Kushiyara are flowing above danger levels. Water level in Teesta receded but still flowing above danger level. Heavy monsoon rains in northeast Indian state of Assam and Nepal along with Bangladesh in the past several days inundated vast swath of land in all three countries. It puts the simple message that floods are inter-state problem that no one can solve unilaterally.
Gushing floodwater has already washed away many lives in the affected districts in Bangladesh forcing people to evacuate homes and take shelter in schools and government buildings. But given the scale of devastation and the number of homeless people the government relief efforts are almost non-existent except tall talks by government ministers and officials of the Department of Disaster Management.
People need food, medicine and pure drinking water at this moment more than anything else. Its shortage in flood-affected areas is poising risk of big humanitarian crisis. At most places tube-wells have been submerged creating scarcity of safe drinking water adding risk to spread of diarrhea and other water borne diseases. Availability of staple has been threatened by lack of cash in the hands of the poor and lack of access to marketplaces as roads have been washed away and markets at many places also have been submerged.
The government claim that the Department of Disaster Management has so far opened 562 flood shelters and rescued 4,950 families appear just a peanut given the number of homeless families, as per government report so far at 1,28,759 in major flood-hit districts. In fact the number of homeless are quite big and growing every day while the official statistics of finding shelter to displaced persons apparently seems to be exaggerated.
We demand that the government must mobilize the local administration and trained rescue teams immediately to stand by the affected people as complaints of scarcity of assistance and absence of other support to people struggling to survive running high. The concerned Minister said the government has enough food and supplies and not a single person will starve. It is appreciable but the question is who will control the supply chain.
Party men and dealers spare no opportunity to deprive the people in need. Floods and such other calamities bring opportunity to many to make illegal fortune and the crucial point is how to reach food and other supplies uninterrupted to the affected people.
Meanwhile Aman plantation in all flood-affected districts has been destroyed at a late plantation season. Many fear it may seriously affect harvest this year at a time when the country is already facing food shortage forcing the government to import at least 1.5 million tonnes of rice. Floods in May this year destroyed much of the Boro harvest and any loss of Aman crop may further aggravate the food shortage that the country saw never before in the past two decades.
Reports said at most places flood embankments have been broken and death of young ones from drowning is shocking. In the affected districts livestock is facing existential problem for lack of dry place and fodder. What is more alarming is the renewed fear of deaths and destruction from landslide in heavy rains particularly in Rangamati and Bandarban hill districts where floods are spreading.
At least 150 people were killed two months ago in massive landslide when another flood amidst monsoon downpour savaged the areas. The administration has to show competence to ally miseries of the people. This government has made the people most helpless. It is a shame.
As per weather forecast light to moderate rain throughout Bangladesh will continue till Tuesday and it means flood situation may further aggravate.
Currently, the inundated districts include northern districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Naogaon, Sylhet belt’s Sylhet and Sunamganj, and Chittagong belt’s Rangamati and Khagrachhari.
