BSS, Sunamganj :
Local level key government officials here hope that they would be able to overcome the recent devastation in the haor areas in a few months.
The victims, however, think that they would need at least a year to come out of the ordeal caused from April’s flash flood and last Sunday’s severe storm.
The subsequent natural disasters in a 30-day span have rendered thousands of people of low-lying areas into poverty as they suffered a massive loss to their Boro paddy from flood, aquatic resources from water toxicity and houses due to tornado.
The District Relief and Rehabilitation Office said they were confident enough to cope up the flash flood issues within the next three months through the government’s 100-day assistance programme covering over 1.5 lakh victims alone in Sunamganj.
“Things were going on at the right direction so far relief and rehab programmes are concerned for the flood victims.
But the severe storm came as the third blow to us after last month’s sudden inundation from flash flood and fish dying from toxicity,” said Mahbubur Rahman, Sunamganj District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer.
He, however, hoped that the people of Sunamganj and six other Haor districts would be able to overcome their sufferings in the next three months with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s support and their natural power of resilience.
District livestock, agriculture and fisheries officers have the identical views like the relief officer. They told BSS that the magnitude of the haor problem was not that dense as it was ‘projected’.
The government has the ability to solve the problem and there was no need to declare haors as ‘disaster affected area’ as demanded by NGOs and some others, they observed.
Initially, they said, the government has taken up a special support progrmme for 100 days for the flood victims with 100 kg of rice and Taka 1,500 cash for each family to buy essentials.
In addition to this, the regular Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGD) and the gracious relief (GR) programmes would go hand in hand.
If needed, the special programme would be continued for more months.
“In addition to relief and rehabilitation supports, the agriculture department has been promoting the idea among the haor people to go for ‘Aman’ paddy cultivation in relatively high lands to offset Boro losses,” said an official of the agriculture extension department. ‘Aman’ can be an auxiliary crop for the haor people, who depend on only one crop, Boro, in a 12-month cycle.
Local level key government officials here hope that they would be able to overcome the recent devastation in the haor areas in a few months.
The victims, however, think that they would need at least a year to come out of the ordeal caused from April’s flash flood and last Sunday’s severe storm.
The subsequent natural disasters in a 30-day span have rendered thousands of people of low-lying areas into poverty as they suffered a massive loss to their Boro paddy from flood, aquatic resources from water toxicity and houses due to tornado.
The District Relief and Rehabilitation Office said they were confident enough to cope up the flash flood issues within the next three months through the government’s 100-day assistance programme covering over 1.5 lakh victims alone in Sunamganj.
“Things were going on at the right direction so far relief and rehab programmes are concerned for the flood victims.
But the severe storm came as the third blow to us after last month’s sudden inundation from flash flood and fish dying from toxicity,” said Mahbubur Rahman, Sunamganj District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer.
He, however, hoped that the people of Sunamganj and six other Haor districts would be able to overcome their sufferings in the next three months with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s support and their natural power of resilience.
District livestock, agriculture and fisheries officers have the identical views like the relief officer. They told BSS that the magnitude of the haor problem was not that dense as it was ‘projected’.
The government has the ability to solve the problem and there was no need to declare haors as ‘disaster affected area’ as demanded by NGOs and some others, they observed.
Initially, they said, the government has taken up a special support progrmme for 100 days for the flood victims with 100 kg of rice and Taka 1,500 cash for each family to buy essentials.
In addition to this, the regular Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGD) and the gracious relief (GR) programmes would go hand in hand.
If needed, the special programme would be continued for more months.
“In addition to relief and rehabilitation supports, the agriculture department has been promoting the idea among the haor people to go for ‘Aman’ paddy cultivation in relatively high lands to offset Boro losses,” said an official of the agriculture extension department. ‘Aman’ can be an auxiliary crop for the haor people, who depend on only one crop, Boro, in a 12-month cycle.
