Staff Reporter :
Medicines, drinking water and dry foods are the crying needs of the flood affected people.
Meanwhile, with the receding of floodwater in the northern districts, water-borne diseases have been spreading sporadically there, intensifying the sufferings of the flood victims.
Diarrhoea, dysentery, fever, respiratory problems, itches, and stomach pain have broken out in some areas. A number of medical teams are working in the affected areas with necessary medicine. Around three lakh people of 43 unions of Harirampur, Daulatpur, Shivalaya, Ghior, Saturia and Sadar upazilas in Manikganj districts are under threat of health hazards.
According to an Agriculture Office source, standing crops amounting to nearly Taka three crore have been washed away due to flood and erosion in four unions of Charbhadrasan upazila. The crops were mainly jute, Aus paddy and vegetables.
The flood situation in Sirajganj and Bogra districts may continue to improve during the next 72 hours, and in Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariatpur, adjoining the banks of the Padma, may further improve during the next 48 hours, according to Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
According to the WDB, Atrai at Baghabari in Pabna, Dhaleswari at Elasin and Jagir, Shitalakkhya at Narayanganj, Kaliganga at Taraghat, Padma at Goalundo, Bhagyakul and Sureshwar, and Titas in Brahmanbaria are still flowing above danger level.
On Saturday, 63.5 mm rainfall was recorded at Teknaf and 23.5 mm at Noakhali.
River water is most unlikely to rise again unless there is heavy rainfall in the upstream. The flood situation would continue to improve across the country. Water level in the rivers around Dhaka –the Turag, Balu and the Shitalakkha(Narayanganj) registered fall.
Water in river Padma receded further, but still 34 centimeters above the danger level, said FFWC official sources. The normal level is 8.65 meters and now the river is flowing at a level of 8.99 meters.
In the last five days, about 100 meters of flood control embankment at
Gazir Tek union under Charbhadrasan upazila collapsed due to pressure of water inundating a vast area. Few hundred people had to take shelter on high lands when their homesteads submerged.
On Thursday the Arial Khan eroded about 100 meters road at Darga Bazar in Nasirabad union under Bhanga upazila.
But for the efforts of the local people, the erosion was temporarily checked and saved from flooding at least five or more villages. Bricks, boulders and bamboo driving technology were used to check the erosion.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall in the past weeks and on rush of water from the upstream flooded the low lying areas of seventeen unions of five upazilas in Faridpur district as the water level in Padma and in its tributaries Arial Khan and Madhumati increased, said the Flood Control Department sources.
The affected upazilas are Faridpur Sadar, Charbhadrasan, Sadarpur, Bhanga and Madhukhali.
